


Everything Changes

by FandomLocked



Category: Vampire Diaries (TV)
Genre: Daroline, F/M, Klaroline, Vampire Diaries - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-05-31
Updated: 2014-12-10
Packaged: 2018-01-27 16:36:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 48
Words: 161,301
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1717346
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FandomLocked/pseuds/FandomLocked
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Rewrite of TVD with Caroline as the main character instead of Elena. Everything changes in Caroline Forbes' life when her mom dies in a car accident and she moves in with her godfather, Zach Salvatore. Will she be able to deal with all the changes? Eventual Klaus/Caroline/Damon pairing.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue

**Chapter 1: Prologue**

* * *

A/N:

This story is about if Caroline was the main character instead of Elena. The Elena in this story is based loosely from Elena in the books for a while. [Elena is blonde, stuck up and cries if boys don't pay attention to her in the books LOL] Klaus is also already a hybrid, and he will appear in the next chapter or so.

I adopted this story from DarolineWritingGoddess aka Damon's Charlene. She said it's okay if I use the same title, and I am, because I'm too lazy to change it right now. LOL

I was a beta for this story for a while, but I fell in love with it and ended up adopting it as my baby LOL jk. Sorry if there's any mistakes because she wrote it in 3rd person POV but I write my stories in first person so I went through and changed it and I might have missed some stuff.

Anyways, I'm not sure how much love-triangle-y this story will be just quite yet.

Caroline and Stefan will not be a couple too btw.

**2-28-13:**

**Re-wrote**  some parts, added in some things.

Enjoy! (:

* * *

September 9, 2009

_Dear Diary,_

_Wow! I never would have thought I would be writing in a diary! I mean, I'm Caroline Forbes; I have a lot to say and I usually just spit it out without really thinking about it. Who knew I'd be writing down my thoughts on paper? What made me start using a diary? Well, my mom Elizabeth Forbes, who is also known as Liz, died in a car accident six months ago. She was driving home and to avoid an accident, she swerved. She was on Wickery Bridge, so she ended up going into the water. I was in the car with her too. But for some reason on which I'm thankful for. I survived._

_The authorities can't figure out how and why, but I did. It wasn't until later that my godfather, Zach Salvatore, told me how. I would explain how I survived, but if someone read my explanation, bad things could happen to good people. Zach told me to keep it a secret and I usually wouldn't because I'm sort of a blabber mouth, but the really serious look on his face is keeping my mouth shut so I haven't told anyone. Well, I guess you could say I told you, but you're just a piece of paper, you don't count. You are the last thing my mom got me, so I'm going to use you, darn it!_

_My mom and I didn't have the best relationship but I gave me you because I thought I needed to voice down my feelings. Not just about my life, but also about my, the divorce between my and my Dad, Bill, and the rest of my life. I was surprised when I gave me you because usually she's like, "Talk to me about your problems, Care! That's why I'm here!" but I guess I could tell I'd rather confide to a diary or a friend then my. After I died, I decided to use it to write my thoughts and feelings like I always wanted. This may be my first diary entry, but I'm already feeling better so I'm sure this won't be the last time I talk to you- especially since I have a lot of stuff I need to get out emotional wise. I am a girl you know._

_And besides, I would rather write in you than go to some stupid therapist that Zach keeps pushing me to go. I told him I'd use you, and it seemed to get him off my back. What can I say? I'm stubborn. I already know that I'm a crazy, neurotic, jealous, control freak, so I don't need some shrink to tell me. I should probably go now… I have school tomorrow and no doubt people are going to ask me if I'm okay with my mom being dead…which is a really stupid question by the way, why would I be okay? My mom died! Who would be okay with that? I'm not going to lie and say I'm okay. Obviously I'm not okay and I don't need people asking me every second of every day about it…I can already tell it's going to get really annoying, really fast. People these days can't keep themselves out of someone's damn business. I better stop before I get into another long rant… I'll talk to you later._

_Sincerely, Caroline Forbes_

I stopped writing after signing my name. I closed the diary with a sigh, glad to get that out of my system. It felt good to blow off steam this way. I let out another sigh as I stood up from the chair I was sitting in at my desk. As soon as I stood up, I heard a knock on my door and I instantly knew that it was Zach.

"Come in," I called quietly.

The door opened, revealing my godfather, Zach Salvatore. He looked pretty young for his age. When I found out he had gotten custody of me, I was surprised to say the least. I knew that my mom trusted him, but I didn't think it was nearly enough to let him be the guardian of her only child. I actually loved living here, at the Salvatore boarding house. It was a nice, large house-well, more like a mansion but …it was home and I felt safe.

"It's getting late Caroline. You should get to bed, you have school tomorrow," he told his goddaughter.

I pouted. "Can't I just skip school and you can tell them I'm sick?" I asked hopefully.

He shook his head, chuckling under his breath, "Sorry Caroline, but you need to go to school."

I knew that he was right, but I still didn't want to go. Like I said in my diary, I hate that random people keep asking me if I was okay with my mom dying and there was no doubt in my mind that the students were going to do just that. It's been six months since my mom died; I was over it by now. Sure, I was gonna miss my mom, but I shouldn't mope around about it, my mom wouldn't want that. I knew it was the normal thing to do, mourn about your loved ones dying, but I had already done that and it was over with. I wasn't the type of person to dwell on things; I was always happy and was content being that way.

"Alright… fine," I said with a small smile.

Zach nodded. "Goodnight Care," he told me.

"You too." I watched him start to leave, when I suddenly remembered something, "Wait!" He stopped, looked at me, and I continued, "Hey, when is Stefan getting here?"

Stefan was Zach's uncle.

He was a  _vampire._

Yeah, I know what you're thinking.  _Vampire? HA!_  You've really fallen off the wagon this time! But no, I'm being 100% serious. Call it a woman's intuition or whatever, but I believe him.

"Tomorrow," he answered, I felt my brain snap back into reality and a worried expression appeared on my face.

He saw my look and added, "Care…you shouldn't worry about Stefan. He's one of the good ones. He feeds on animals, not humans."

I gasped, a look of horror on my face. "He kills animals?!"

He winced. "Well it's better than killing humans, right?" he said, giving me a look.

"Yeah, you're right, I guess… but still! How could you kill defenseless animals?!" I exclaimed again.

Zach shook his head and said goodnight to me once more. This time, I didn't say anything, so he left my room and closed the door behind him. Once he was gone, I went to get dressed in my pajamas. Right before I snuggled into bed, I pulled my hair out of the ponytail and brushed it. A moment later I pulled the covers over my body and was able to get relaxed quickly, even though I was dreading school tomorrow.

As I laid in bed, I thought back to the time when I first learned about how Stefan was a vampire-and the rest of the vampires' existence…

_Flashback_ _…_

_'Remember me telling your mother about a family member of mine? Stefan?' Zach asked me suddenly._

_The two of us were settled in the Salvatore Boarding House's dining room, eating our dinner pleasantly. I had already been there a month, and thankfully, Zach and I were getting along wonderfully._

_"Yeah, isn't he your nephew or something?" I asked, remembering hearing my mom talk about a Stefan before._

_"Something like that. He's coming to live with us. He's very nice too, so don't worry." He assured me._

_Nodding, I asked. "What do you mean something like that? Is he adopted?"_

_"Caroline," he said slowly, obviously trying to ease his way into the subject. His facial expression changed and he obviously changed his mind. "If you want to get technical, he's my great-great-great uncle."  
He was blunter than a broken pencil when he wanted to be, that's for sure._

_I dropped my fork, and it fell to the table, clanging on the porcelain plates._

_I stared at him for a moment, and started to burst out laughing._

_"You're great-great-GREAT Uncle? You've got to be kidding me! He'd have to be like a hundred and like sixty years or something! That's impossible!"_

_Zach scratched the back of his head awkwardly. "Caroline, have you ever wondered why Mystic Falls has had so many 'animal attacks' on people?"_

_My mind was spinning. He said animal attacks sarcastically, like they weren't really animals. Why would he be sarcastic? That's what my mom always said- that they were just animal attacks. Just mountain lions and stuff that had came down from the mountains. Wait-I sighed mentally, my scatterbrained ness taking effect. Why did he change the subject?_

_"Wait a second, don't change the subject! What do animals have to do with a super old wrinkly guy who you claim is still alive?" I raised an eyebrow and he sighed, massaging his temples with his fingers._

_"It's all connected. Just listen." He said slowly._

_"Okay fine." I nodded slowly. "But my mom said they were just mountain lions or something. And what does the attacks have to do with Stefan?" I took a bite of my steak and chewed slowly, still extremely confused._

_"Mystic Falls has a council to deal with the supernatural. And just wait, you'll see the connection between Stefan, animals attacks, the supernatural and the council all in a moment.." He was obviously testing the water, making sure I wouldn't flip out with what he was about to say._

_I scoffed. "A council? Like a…cult?" I snorted._

_He shook his head. "Try like a supernatural-paranormal- council. No cult or devil worship-whatever- involved. Armed to the teeth with wooden stakes."_

_"Wooden raw STEAKS?" I raised an eyebrow, looking down at my steak on my plate. He'd have to be blind to see I was clearly not following._

_"No, Caroline. Like this kind of stake." He leaned over and pulled a stake out from some secret compartment in the table. I gasped._

_"Vampires?"_

_He nodded grimly. "Exactly like that." He took a bite of his steak too and chewed thoughtfully._

_"So… what are you saying? That the attacks aren't animals at all? Simply deranged hungry vampires with red eyes or werewolves?" He couldn't be serious! I kept waiting for him to start laughing and say, 'you should have seen your face!'_

_"Yes. Stefan is a vampire from late 1800's during the Civil War." He watched as my mouth dropped open and I started to laugh._

_"You've been reading too many horror stories, Zach." I was laughing so hard now, clutching my stomach and tempted to fall to the floor and roll around like a dork_

_"It's true. Your mother even knew about it. Remember when you used to see those wooden stakes hidden in her dresser and in the hall closet by the front door? And she told you they were stakes to go into the ground for your dad's old tent? That's how you kill a vampire, Caroline; with a wooden stake to the heart. She was protecting you." His voice was serious, and his eyes were grim.  
He stared at me for a moment, before standing up and walking next to me. I looked at him in confusion, but he pulled the neck of his shirt over to the side to expose to me a scar of an old bite mark. It looked like someone who had some seriously sharp human teeth took a chunk out of his neck. I gaped at it and lifted my hand to touch it. When my skin met the scar tissue, I gasped and jerked my hand back. The skin was cold and it felt funny._

_"Whoa." I finally managed to say after he fixed his shirt and sat back down._

_"Now do you believe me?" he asked, staring into my eyes._

_I nodded, rendered speechless._

_"You can't tell anyone about vampires or werewolves, Caroline. There are certain people who know about it- those who are on the town's council. But if the townspeople knew about all the creatures, there would be chaos to say the least."_

_"O-okay. I'll keep my mouth shut." I squeaked out and we ate in silence for a few more minutes. "Is there anything else I need to know?"_

_He nodded and spoke after swallowing the last bite of steak. "Vervain, which is a purplish plant, is a good defense against vampires. If you are wearing it or have eaten it, they cannot compel you. It also burns them if they touch it."_

_"Compel? Like mind control?" I tilted my head to the side._

_'This is so crazy!' I thought._

_He shook his head 'yes'. "They can compel you to do anything, even hurt yourself. They can also compel you to forget the compulsion, if they want. Many vampires shut off their human emotions. They have no guilt, no conscious and no compassion. They pretty much become killing machines." He picked up his plate and put it into the sink. He came to sit back down and spoke again. "They have complete and utter control when you are compelled. The only person to be able to withstand their compulsion was your father. And it took him years to train himself to do so."_

_"No emotions?" I said in disbelief. I thought about my father for a moment, and remembered wondering where he was when I was in middle school…_

_End of Flashback…_

And with that, I fell into a deep dark sleep.

* * *

The next morning when I woke up, I heard Zach downstairs in the kitchen. He was probably cooking breakfast for me like he did every morning since I came to live with him. He wasn't that great of a cook but it was edible, unlike my concoctions I made in the wee hours of the morning.

 _'I hope he doesn't burn the toast like last time…'_  I thought to myself as I got dressed.

I glanced at the clock what seemed like five minutes later, and exclaimed, "Shit! I'm gonna be late!"

I vaguely heard Zach's voice in the background as I exclaimed, and I rushed around grabbing my bag and slipping my shoes on.

Moments later, I zoomed into the kitchen.

"Bye Zach!" I exclaimed as I rushed out of the kitchen- but not before grabbing the one piece of toast that Zach made me.

 _'Hey, its not burnt!'_  I thought with a grin as I slammed the front door and ran to my car.

* * *

Surprisingly, I made it just in time to school. I was now at my locker, leaning against it, breathing deeply as if I had just ran a marathon. After I caught my breath, I turned towards my locker and opened it up. I started to take out the stuff I needed for my Math class, but I felt a tap on my shoulder. I turned towards the tap and saw Bonnie. I squealed at the sight of my best friend, Bonnie Bennett.

"Bonnie!" I squealed again excitedly. Before Bonnie could say anything back, I threw my arms around her and squeezed her tightly.

Bonnie laughed and hugged me back. I held onto the hug for what seemed like forever. I finally let go and beamed at her.

"I'm so happy to see you Bonnie," I said with a huge grin still plastered on my face.

She smiled, "Me too." Then a concerned look appeared on her face and she placed a hand on my shoulder.

I knew what was about to come and I forced myself not to scowl when she asked,

"How are you doing?"

"I'm fine," I replied through gritted teeth. I couldn't hold it in anymore. I scowled at her. "I'm fine Bonnie. Why do people keep asking me if I'm okay? I'm  _fine-_  my mom's dead, I'm over it- so I don't need someone asking me if I'm alright, okay?"

She winced at the angry tone in my voice. "I'm sorry… I won't ask you again," she told me and I felt relieved.

"It's alright Bonnie," I said with a sigh, running a hand through my hair. "I'm just getting tired of people asking me if I'm okay, I know you guys feel bad for me but you don't have to ask me if I'm okay all the time."

"We care about you Care, that's why we ask," She said in a soft voice.

I sighed again, "I know." I gave her a small smile, "Thanks."

"You're welcome."

I opened her mouth to say more, but was I interrupted by my other best friend, Elena Gilbert. She gave me a tight hug. It caught me by surprise to say the least. She usually never hugged me! Even though we were friends, I was friends with Elena because she was friends with Bonnie. I knew the situation was mutual with Elena. I patted Elena on the back awkwardly. Finally, she pulled away with a smile on her that seemed to bright up the hallway. She was one of the most popular girls in school, besides myself, because she was dating the quarterback of the team, Matt Donavan, and her father, Grayson Gilbert, was a great doctor who worked at the Mystic Falls hospital. Not only that,  _everybody_  loved Elena Gilbert. She got all the guys and she only just used them for her selfish gain- which I found really annoying about her. I knew for a fact that Elena cheated on Matt at least once, but since they weren't close, I didn't tell him about it. He was a great guy and he didn't deserve getting hurt by Elena.

She also had a little brother, Jeremy Gilbert, who went to Mystic Falls' high school too. Elena seemed to be oblivious to the fact that Jeremy was always smoking weed- even during lunch- and he had some kind of thing with Vicki Donavan, Matt's sister. Elena was that self-centered. I admit, I'm self-centered too, just not as much as she was. Elena speaking snapped me out of my thoughts.

"How are you Caroline?" she asked, sounding genuinely concerned.

I forced myself for the billionth time today to not to roll my eyes while Bonnie winced next to me. She seemed to know that I was going to get onto Elena for asking.

"Yeah, I'm fine Elena, just peachy," I answered, forcing a smile.

"Great!" She said, smiling back. Elena didn't seem to notice that my smile was forced.

"I'll see you two later." She winked at us and walked off, swaying her hips as she walked. She stopped at Matt's locker and I couldn't help but to roll my eyes as Matt, who was at his locker, smiled at Elena and kissed her. It wasn't long until they were making out in front of the locker.

"That's just sick," I said to Bonnie with a disgusted look on my face.

Bonnie didn't say anything, since Elena was her friend, but I knew she was probably thinking the same thing. I rolled my eyes once more, turning away from the couple and got my stuff out of my locker before looking at Bonnie.

"I'll see you later Bon," I said.

She nodded, "I'll see you at the Grill later?"

I couldn't help but to grin and wink. "Of course! But I bet you used your psychic powers to know that one," I teased.

"Oh shut up Caroline." Bonnie grinned back and rolled her eyes before walking off to her first class.

It was true, Bonnie's Grams had told her that she was physic and was a witch. But she just thought she was drunk. I would have probably thought the same thing if I didn't know about vampires. If vampires are real, then anything is possible! I didn't tell Bonnie this because she would think I was crazy and honestly I wouldn't blame her!

"I love you too!" I called brightly, before going down the hallway.

Bonnie stopped and turned back to look at me, before waving and turning back around.

From the corner of my eye I saw Jeremy going to the bathroom with a guy. I sighed frustrated with him. There he goes again. Didn't he know not to smoke in a bathroom that teachers use? Of course he didn't… I shook my head and followed Jeremy. Elena might not do anything, but I was.


	2. Pilot : Part One

Later, I entered my math classroom, a little bit after the bell. I had tried to talk to Jeremy, but he just blew me off saying it was his life and why did I even care? Elena and I weren't even that close.

The math teacher, Mr. Mason, was not very lenient on students who were late- even if it was just a little late- so she wasn't surprised when she saw the scowl on Mr. Mason's face. The students, who were in the classroom already, were chuckling quietly to themselves. I couldn't help but to flush slightly. I hated when people laughed at me.

"Sorry, Mr. Mason," I apologized, still blushing a little. "I had, uh, to help Mr. Tanner with something." I flinched at how easy it was to lie. My mom hated lying, and her trait had rubbed off on me, I guess.

He huffed and the scowl on his face deepened. I bit my bottom lip, hoping that he would believe my lie. Finally, he sighed.

"Just sit down Miss Forbes, just don't be late again," Mr. Tanner said warningly. "I have been lenient with you because of what happened this summer but this is the last time, got it?"

I let out a sigh and nodded, my arms tightening around the math book I was holding. "Yes, Mr. Mason."

Mason gave a curt nod and I went to my seat, sitting down in it. The guy who was sitting beside me whispered,

"Maybe if you didn't keep your head in the clouds you wouldn't be late Forbes."

It was Tyler Lockwood, one of the most arrogant and biggest jerks in Mystic Falls High. I couldn't stand him.

"Oh shut up Tyler," I hissed angrily.

 _He is such a jerk! How does Matt deal with him?_  I thought to myself. I was suddenly pissed off. He usually did that to me.

 _Stupid Tyler._  I grumbled in my head.

He just smirked and moved back. I stared at him with a scowl on my face. Mr. Mason opened his mouth to speak, but he was interrupted by someone else coming into the room. I looked away from Tyler and my mouth dropped slightly. It was a guy…he was so  _hot_. For some reason, I felt like I should know this guy, but I didn't know why. Mr. Mason sounded annoyed as he asked the new student,

"Who are you?"

"Stefan Salvatore."

I let out a loud gasp. Everyone turned and looked at me. Even Stefan. She laughed nervously. I usually don't mind the spotlight- I'm a cheerleader for god's sake- but the look on Stefan's face made her feel nervous for some reason. I figured it had to do with the fact that this was Zach's uncle and that he was a  _vampire_. Either way, I felt nervous with him looking at her.

"Sorry," I apologized with a shrug. I heard Tyler chuckle quietly beside me, obviously loving the nervous and embarrassed version of me.

Mr. Mason ignored me, thankfully, as he looked back at Stefan.

"Right the new kid," he said, pointing out the obvious. He gestured to the seats, "Go ahead and find yourself a seat."

Stefan nodded as he went to sit down in the empty seat on the other side of me. My heart pounded in my chest, and I wasn't sure if I should be afraid of him or not. I definitely felt that I shouldn't make eye contact with him, who knows why. With that, Mr. Mason started teaching the class. I couldn't really pay attention to the lesson today. Math wasn't my strong suit- so I usually didn't pay attention anyways-, which is bad because I failed the class last year. [Which was why I had to take it again.] Today I spent my time glancing at Stefan from the corner of my eye, trying to figure him out without making it too entirely obvious. He didn't seem to notice me staring… or at least I don't think he did. Thankfully, Mr. Mason didn't notice her staring either, because that would be bad. Finally, the class was over and Stefan was the first one out the door. Before he left, he looked at me intensely. I met his gaze this time, my heart skipping a beat at the intensity. It only lasted for a moment. I quickly grabbed my stuff and made my way out of the classroom.

I bumped into Tyler by accident and he exclaimed loudly, "Hey! Pay attention to where you're going Forbes!" He glared at me and I glared right back.

Thankfully that interruption didn't last long, so Stefan wasn't that far ahead of her. I followed Stefan to his locker. It was a couple lockers down from mine, so he got a clear view of Elena. She was standing at her locker and staring at Stefan with those flirty eyes of hers. I rolled my eyes. She better be glad that Matt wasn't there… Rolling her eyes once more, I went up to Stefan, greeting him brightly.

"Hi Stefan, I'm Caroline, Zach's goddaughter," I said, hoping that he was friendly.

He just nodded, not even paying attention to her. He was too busy staring at  _Elena_. I tried again to get him to speak, but every time I tried, I only got a nod. I huffed, crossed my arms and scowled at Stefan.

 _I just hate being ignored._  He didn't even look at me still, so I rolled my eyes.  _Screw it._

I gave up and passed Elena, who was on her way over to Stefan. I made my way to Bonnie who at her locker. I started ranting to Bonnie, immediately causing her best friend to jump.

"I just met Stefan, you know, the guy I told you about who's coming to live with Zach?" I ranted irritated-ly.

"Uh yeah," she said with a nod. She looked confused on what I was pissed off about.

"I was trying to be nice and he just ignores me and just stares at Elena! I mean seriously, what's so special about that bitch?! She's such a little slut. And Elena, she was staring right back! I mean she's with Matt for god's sake!" Caroline ranted loudly.

Bonnie opened her mouth to interrupt me, but I continued,

"Matt's a sweet guy, he doesn't deserve to be cheated on! But no!- Elena thinks she can just get away with every single thing that she does. God knows how her parents deal with her! Not only that, she doesn't care that her little brother is doing drugs and doing who knows what with, Vicki Donavan. Bonnie, you care more about Jeremy than Elena does and you're not even his sister!" I finished her ranting with a huff.  _That felt good…too bad it wasn't in a diary, who knew who heard that!_

I could tell Bonnie didn't know what to say. She obviously didn't like me bashing Elena like that, but she had to know that Elena and I didn't really have a close relationship. Bonnie seemed to know I was right about her caring more about Jeremy then Elena did.

"Are you done?" she asked.

"Yeah, I'm done," I answered brightly. "Thanks for listening Bonnie, I just had to get that out. I would have written in my diary about it but…"

"Wait!  _You're_  writing in a  _diary_?!" She said with raised eyebrows. "You, Caroline Forbes."

"Yeah, yeah, I know it's out of character for me…"

"Way out of character." She said, still looking dumbfounded

"But that's better than going to a therapist to talk about my problems, that would be even more out of character!" I finished off with a laugh.

She laughed too. "Yeah, it would."

The school bell rang, signaling that it was time to start their next class.

"I'll see you after school at the Grill," I told Bonnie.

She nodded in agreement and I smiled. I gave Bonnie a quick hug before going back down the hallway to get to her next class.

* * *

School had just ended, and I was sitting in Mystic Falls' graveyard, leaning against next to my mom's. I was writing in my diary like I did at times when I really missed her. I wasn't always such a sad graveyard girl, but going to school and knowing that I wouldn't come home to my old little house to my light pink room made me sad.

Beside me were daises-my mom's favorite- and I was going to put them on her mom's grave after I was done writing. Today marked six months that her mom had been dead. I originally wasn't going to go the cemetery to write, but something pushed me to go and visit my beloved mom. When I wrote, there were no tears that I shed, because I knew she'd chide me and say,  _"Don't cry for me Caroline. You know how angry you get when you mess up your makeup!"_  and she would smile and ruffled my hair just to make me get all OCD and brush it again. I continued to write.

_September 10, 2009_

_Dear Diary,_

_Hey it's me again!. I'm at the cemetery writing… I know, weird place to write, don't judge me! Though you can't judge me since you're not real… but whatever. So, I met Stefan Salvatore today. He didn't make a good impression. He just completely ignored me to stare at_ _Elena_ _. The little attention whore stared right back too! She's dating Matt, and she seriously shouldn't be staring at some other guy! You shouldn't do something like that in a relationship. But what I can I say? That's Elena for you!- Only thinking of herself. She's such a bitch sometimes…okay… all the time. Well I'm gonna make this entry short because I'll just keep going if I don't stop now. Talk to you later._

_Sincerely, Caroline Forbes_

With that I shut my diary and quickly put it in my bag that I usually took everywhere with me. I stood up from the ground, putting the bag over my shoulder before leaning down to pick up the flowers. After that, I turned towards my mom's grave and I looked at the engraving for a moment.

_Here lies Elizabeth Forbes, loving mother and devoted Sheriff._

_May she live on in our hearts forever…_

I felt my eyes tear up immediately after I read it, but I quickly wiped away my tears as if someone was there. It was the first time I'd actually cried for my mother since the funeral. With a sad sigh, I set the in front of her mom's gravestone. I glanced up, feeling like I was being watched and titled my head to the side at the sight of a beautiful black wolf a few feet away. It was simply lying between gravestones, staring at me. The wolf got up and shook itself for a moment before it titled its head to the side like I was. I giggled at the wolf's antics. I was about to say something to it, but the wolf disappeared with a blink of an eye before I could. I frowned, feeling very confused.  _What did I do?_

I shrugged, ' _It doesn't matter'._  I thought to myself as I walked off.

Suddenly, fog started to appear around me and I felt myself shiver. I was abruptly very cold. The fog grew even bigger and out of nowhere, a shadow of a man was standing behind the grave where the wolf once was. I gasped in fear and I turned and ran as fast as I could to get out of there. I didn't get that far. I ended up falling because I over some rocks. I tumbled down a small hill and felt my knees scrape against rocks and branches. I whimpered as I came to a stop at the bottom, my clothes covered in dirt and leaves.  _That hurt!_

But then, I remembered what I was running from and I quickly got up. Before I could run again, someone cleared their throat from behind me. I jumped and whirled around as fast as I could. My heart was pounding in my chest.

 _'Please don't be some creepy serial killer!'_  I thought to myself.

The guy before me smirked. I didn't say anything as I found myself staring at him. He looked older than me, around twenty something years old. He had dirty blonde hair and the most beautiful blue-green eyes that sparked with humor- obviously because of how I reacted- and he wore a dark blue v-neck shirt that was covered with a black leather jacket, and a pair a slim fitting jeans that looked absolutely sexy on him. He was ridiculously gorgeous and had this thing about him that oozed danger.

"You know, it's not polite to stare, love" The guy teased, his smirk widening.

The nickname made me immediately glare at him heatedly.

_What the hell? I'm not his 'love'!_

"Well maybe if you didn't scare me half to death then I wouldn't be staring at you," I retorted snarkily, I was going to stand my ground. I wasn't going to let me intimidate me.

"You're feisty, aren't ya _,_ love _?"_ The guy questioned with the smirk still on his face as he used my new 'nickname'.

The glare I had hardened. "Oh shut up," I growled, already thoroughly annoyed by this guy I just met. It didn't really take much to my on her nerves- but the guy did a great job, pushing the right buttons. And it didn't help that he was calling me love, like we were  _lovers_  or something!

He took a step forward and I instinctively took a step back, a guarded look on my face. He stopped at this and stared at me intently for what seemed like forever. Finally he spoke up again.

"So, love, what's a striking girl like you doing out here by yourself? Mmm? Because you never know when someone or  _something_  will attack you," he said with another somewhat suggestive smirk.

I looked at him suspiciously. Something wasn't right with this guy, I could just feel it.

"I went to see someone who  _died_ , duh, why else would I be here?" I said sarcastically, rolling my eyes.

He chuckled and my heart immediately tugged with some emotion I couldn't place. This worried me. I didn't like having 'unplaced' emotions. Call me narcissistic.

 _Maybe his chuckle was soothing to me?_ I mentally shrugged.

"What you doing here?" I had to ask.

"Same thing as you, love, seeing someone who died," he replied.

Even though I didn't believe him, I let it slide. I opened my mouth to say something, but he rudely interrupted me.

"Well it was nice meeting you, I have to get going," he said starting to leave.

I stared after him but I remembered that she didn't know his name.

"Wait!" I called and he stopped walking. When he looked over at me, I continued, "What's your name?"

The guy's smirk turned into a wolfish grin, "Niklaus Mikaelson, but you can call me Klaus or Nik."

I was shocked. Didn't Zach warn me about the Mikaelsons? I stared at him in confusion, and started to talk, but he interrupted me. He probably did this a lot.

"You should probably get a bandage on that," he said, looking at the blood on the scrape that I got from her fall. It had ripped my jeans and I had two wounds on both of her knees. Since I was now aware of the scrapes, my brows furrowed.

"Ow, yeah."

I saw Klaus' face tense up from the corner of my eye when I pried apart the jeans to get a better look at my cut. The scrape wasn't too deep, just dirty. I'd have to go home and clean it up before I go to the Grill. I pulled my hand away, and flinched when I saw how bloody it was.  _Ow._

I looked up and Klaus, and back down when I noticed where he was staring, but when I glanced back up, he was gone. I frowned, but it wasn't a surprised frown. I figured that he left because of the blood.

 _Was he a vampire like Stefan, or just squeamish of blood?_  I wondered

Not only that, I wondered why Zach only warned me vaguely of the Mikaelsons…

I shook my head as I bent over to pick my bag up off the ground. Strapping it over my shoulder, I headed to my car, not noticing the black wolf hiding behind my mother's gravestone.

-0-

I pulled into the driveway of the Salvatore Boarding House and noticed that there was a new car in the driveway.

 _Was that Stefan's?_ I wondered as I climbed out and made my way to the front door.

I fished my keys out of my bag and slid the key into the hole, turning it once to unlock it. I heard the lock click and I furrowed my eyebrows in confusion.

 _Why was it unlocked? Zach should be at work?_ I was extremely confused, and I really hated being confused.

I turned the key again and unlocked the door I had just accidentally locked. I put the keys back into my purse and stepped warily into the house, limping slightly.

"Hello? Is anyone here?" I called into the empty house. I never liked coming home to such a large, empty house. It was always gloomy to me.

There was no answer so I walked up the stairs to my room to clean up and bandage my knees. I opened my bedroom door and went into the bathroom, rolling up my jeans and sitting on the floor with peroxide and bandages. Taking a deep breath, I uncapped the peroxide and poured some on a cotton ball. This stuff always tingled and I remembered when I was young I had fallen on the concrete and got a nasty cut and my mom had to put 'the painful bubbly stuff' on my knee so it wouldn't get infected. I found myself smiling at the memory, and dabbed the cotton ball on my wound, wincing as it cleaned it. I dabbed at it again a few moments later with a paper towel, and pressed a Band-Aid on it so my jeans wouldn't irritate it. I did the same to the other knee, wincing still when it bubbled and stung. I rolled my pants back down and brushed off the dirt that covered them. Standing up, my mouth dropped open at the sight of my hair. I could almost feel my OCD kick in as I picked out leaves and dried grass and fixed my part, brushing it down neatly. Smiling at my reflection one last time, I went back into my room to get my purse and some money from the 'secret' compartment in my jewelry box. I walked out of my room, shutting the door behind me and gasped at the sight of Stefan standing at the top of the stairs, a confused look on his face.

"Hello Caroline. Are you…uh…bleeding?" he greeted cordially, his face distorting for a split second as he said 'bleeding'.

"I-uh- um… Yes. I fell in the cemetery." I bit my lip nervously. "I'm okay though."

He smiled and nodded. "Good. Are you about to go somewhere?"

"Actually, yes. I'm just about to go to Mystic Grill to meet Bonnie and Elena, would you like to come with me?" I plastered a fake smile on my face. I really didn't want to hang out with Elena, the little cheating bitch.

 _'She's Bonnie's friend- be nice.'_ The kinder side of me whispered.

He smiled at the mention of Elena's name and nodded. "Sure, I'd love to, thanks."

I smiled politely back and started to head down the stairs. "Um, you know Elena has a boyfriend, right?"

He nodded once, almost painfully.

We walked out the door and I locked it behind me. "So, uh, you know that I know about you, right?" I asked awkwardly as I climbed into my car.

He opened the passenger side door and climbed in.

"Know what about me?" he feigned confusion.

"That you….um…eat bunnies." I lowered my voice. "And not people."

He didn't say anything, just simply buckled the seat belt and stared out the window as I backed out of the driveway and headed towards the Grill. We drove in silence for a good two to three minutes before I spoke up.

"So, um, do you have any other siblings?"

He turned his head to look at me. "None that I talk to."

"Oh." I nodded slowly. "So, uh, I met Klaus Mikaelson today."

His head whipped around and looked at me. "What did you just say?"

"I said I met Klaus Mikaelson today." A look of rather fear or hatred passed over his face. "Why?"


	3. Pilot : Part Two

He looked me right in the eye and said. "Stay away from him Caroline. He's evil and dangerous. He's a vampire too, a very old, very powerful, hybrid."

I looked back to the road and mulled over his words. "He's a what? A hybrid?"

"He's a wolf and a vampire." He explained quietly, turning to look out the window again.

I thought back to what Zach told me about vampires, which wasn't much…

"He seemed harmless enough to me." I shrugged and turned into the parking lot.

As I parked the car, Stefan's voice was urgent as he said, "Caroline, I'm serious. Stay away from him. He's ruthless."

I looked at him carefully. His eyes were serious, and somehow I knew he was telling the truth.

We got out of the car and walked in. Our eyes scanned the room for Bonnie and Elena, and we finally found them seated at a table close to the pool table, chatting idly.

"Caroline! Hey!" Bonnie called, smiling brightly as she got up to greet us.

"Hey Bonnie!" I grinned and gave her a hug.

As we pulled away, she noticed that Stefan was with me and smiled friendlily at him. "Oh, hi! You must be Stefan!"

He smiled and nodded.

"Oh!" I chuckled. "Stefan, this is Bonnie, my best friend. And you already know Elena." I nodded back at Elena who got up at the mention of her name.

"Nice to meet you." He shook Bonnie's hand and I watched in confusion as she stared at his hand, her posture stiffening. She pulled her hand back normally and smiled, but it seemed forced.

"Stefan!" Elena grinned widely and gave him a big hug, pressing her boobs against him.

 _Whore._ I thought as I rolled my eyes and took a seat next to Bonnie, who had already sat down. Stefan and Elena sat down a moment later on the other side of the booth.

We chitchatted for a moment, and I looked around, suddenly craving some food. I noticed Matt and another waiter quietly arguing from behind the bar.

"No, that's my girlfriend man! She's hanging out with Stefan! You know how awkward that'll be? Her hanging out with another guy – flirting with another guy – right in front of me?" Matt didn't seem to want to serve our table...I wonder why? My thoughts were sarcastic as the other boy nodded.

The other boy scowled. "Fine, but I better get to keep all the tip!"

"Caroline? Hellooo?" she waved her hand in front of my face and I plastered on a smile.

"Sorry. I guess I zoned out." I smiled and shrugged my shoulders.

"It's okay, I was just telling Bonnie and Stefan how I'm thinking of breaking it off with Matt." She frowned and glanced at Matt.

I put a fake sympathetic frown on my face. "Why?"

"He keeps talking about marriage and the future…it's really overwhelming." She glanced at Stefan, who was looking at Elena intensely.

The other waiter walked over to take our order. "Hi, my name's Logan, is there anything I can get you guys to drink or eat?"

Elena started to talk, but I cut her off.  _No way are you going to do all the talking hun!_

"Yes please." I smiled. "Could I have a water and grilled chicken?"

"Coming right up!" he jot down something on his notepad and went back to the kitchen.

"So Stefan, tell us about yourself!" Elena said, looking at Stefan curiously.

"Tell you what?" he replied, fiddling with his sleeve.

I heard Elena say, ' _where did you live before here?'_  in the background, but I was too busy sending a text to Bonnie to really pay attention

_What's wrong? R U okay? Ur rlly quiet…_

I looked back up and laid my phone in my lap.

"My family is in the military, so we move around a lot. I was born here in Mystic Falls and decided to come back to live with my Uncle Zach." He explained.

"Ohmigosh!" Elena squealed. "Caroline's godfather?"

He nodded and she grinned. "That's so cool!"

I saw Bonnie move out of the corner of my eye and my phone vibrated a second later.

_Just got a really weird vibe off of Stefan…maybe Grams is right…maybe I am physic…haha jk.:)_

I smiled but didn't text her back.

We chatted for a few more moments while I ate my food, when Bonnie finally spoke.

"Well, it's getting late, I better head back."

Elena, Stefan and I all agreed, it was already 8 p.m. Elena hugged Stefan goodbye and left, leaving the rest of us sitting there awkwardly for a moment.

"Matt!" I called and he walked over after finishing up with a customer.

"Hey Caroline, Bonnie." He smiled at us and glared briefly at Stefan. "You must be the new guy. I'm Matt Donovan."

He shook his hand and Stefan smiled friendly, "I'm Stefan Salvatore."

Matt nodded and looked at me. "Do you need something Care? I have customers I kind of have to attend to…" he looked back at his table.

"Oh, I'm ready to pay." I said, handing him a $10 bill. He took it and nodded, bring me back my change a few minutes later.

I got up and gave him a hug. He smiled and said goodbye, going back to his table to check on them.

Bonnie told Stefan and I goodbye, and then we all headed home.

-0-

_Dear Diary,_

_This is weird! Me using you twice in one day! Don't get your hopes up and get a big head just because I'm talking to you again -this is going to be a one-time thing._

_Anyways, I met Klaus Mikaelson today in the graveyard. It turns out Zach wasn't kidding about them being a bad family. Even Stefan got on edge when I mentioned Klaus! He didn't seem that bad though. It's like people say in those spy shows my dad used to watch. 'If he wanted you dead, you'd be dead already!'_

_Something tells me I should definitely be careful around him, though._

_I'm not that excited about the party tomorrow, not like I was last year. I'll probably end up going anyways, just to get my mind off the vampire shit._

_Goodnight!_

_Caroline_

I shut my diary and stood up from my desk and walked over to my bedroom door, sticking my head out.

"Goodnight!" I called loudly so Zach could hear me wherever he was. I knew Stefan would have no trouble hearing me in his room, so I didn't bother calling it to him.

I heard Zach call something back, and I smiled to myself and shut my door. I looked down at my pajama shorts and shirt, and my eyes drifted over to my freshly bandaged knee. Sighing, I walked into my bathroom and put some lotion on my face, rubbing soothing circles on my cheeks and forehead.

I let loose a deep sigh, just to fill the silence and almost screamed when I saw a crow perched on my windowsill, staring at me thoughtfully.

"What is it with all the animals?" I huffed as I walked over to the crow, expecting it to fly away.

It cawed loudly and I jumped, my hand flying to my heart in surprise. It cocked its head and stared at me still.

 _Oh my god, look at those eyes!_ I thought in awe as I studied the bird's lovely blue eyes.

"Shoo! Get out of my room!" I waved my hands at it and it flew away, only to stop to perch on the tree branch outside my window.

I scoffed and walked over to my open window, and shoved it closed. The blue eyes were trained on me as I walked over to my dresser, grabbed a hair tie and threw my long hair into a simple ponytail.

_Maybe it's gone now…_

I turned back towards the window and rolled my eyes as I saw it was still perched there.

 _You've got to be kidding me._ "Goodnight bird!" I said softly as I rolled my eyes, shutting the curtains.

The only light that was in my dimly lit room was my favorite candle. Climbing into bed, I leaned over and blew the candle out, smiling when the soothing smell of lavender met my nose. I rolled over and fell asleep almost immediately.

I got up the next morning and the day pretty much went the same as before. Except today, Elena was fawning over Stefan, oblivious to the fact that Matt was casting longing and jealous glances at her every few minutes. He obviously didn't want her hanging out with Stefan so much.

The day finished surprisingly average as I the final bell rang and I walked to my car. A familiar black bird flew by my head quickly and I gasped.

_Stupid thing._

I shook my head and got into my car. I drove by the cemetery slowly.

 _No more gloomy graveyard girl, Caroline._ I told myself while stepping on the gas and driving past it, headed home.

When I pulled into the driveway, I noticed the front door wide open.

 _That's weird._ I furrowed my brows as I parked my car and climbed out.

I walked up to the front door and stepped inside.

"Zach? Stefan? You there? You left the front door open!" I called to the seemingly empty house.

I stepped into the living room and the door slammed closed loudly. I whirled around immediately and looked in confusion at the door.

"What the?" I murmured as I turned around and walked back over to the door.

I shrugged.  _Must have been the wind…_

I turned around to be face to face with a tall, dark haired man.

"Holy-!" I gasped, taking a step back.

"Who are you?" I narrowed my eyes and turned my head to the side, plastering on my most suspicious gaze.

He smirked, his-  _icy blue?-_  eyes sparkling.

"Who am I? I believe the question is who are  _you_ , Blondie?" he smirked down at me and walked around me slowly.

"I live here, I'm Caroline." I explained, my eyes following him warily. "And my name is NOT 'Blondie'."

_I absolutely hated when people called me that. It was absolutely infuriating._

He chuckled at my annoyance and stood in front me. "I'm Stefan's brother."

I  
made a face. "Stefan didn't tell me he had a brother-and neither did Zach."

"Stefan's not one to brag." He shrugged and grabbed my elbow and led me into the living room.

"I'm Damon." We walked down the two steps into the living room and I ripped my arm out of his grasp.

_Ouch._

"So how do you know Zach?" he asked, smirking as I rubbed my arm.

I narrowed my eyes. "He's my godfather."

Damon opened his mouth to speak, but Stefan's voice cut him off, hard and irritated.

"Caroline, why don't you go to your room?"

I furrowed my brows and looked up at Damon curiously.

"Stefan, I was wondering where you were," I greeted him.

"Damon. What are you doing here?" He said demanded as he walked over and gently led me towards the staircase.

"Stefan…" I mumbled in confusion.

_What was so bad about Damon? He seemed nice despite the whole cocky attitude._

"I'm simply talking to our new room-mate, Stefan." Damon called and I turned to see him staring at me, a devious grin on his face.

"Caroline…" Stefan insisted yet again and I caved.

"Okay, Stefan. I uh, have homework to do anyways." I said, looking at the new brother once more as I walked up the flight of steps, stopping as soon as I was out of sight.

I sat down at the top stair and listened intently to their conversation.

"You never told me we have a new blonde room mate, Stefan," Damon said and I could hear the smirk in his voice. "You didn't need to know." Stefan retorted. "What are you doing here Damon? I'm not going to ask you again."

"Oh, but I did need to know." He chuckled and continued. "You'll know my purpose here all in good time Stefan. All in good time."

I heard Stefan sigh and footsteps, so I quickly got up and ran as softly as I could to my room, darting inside and shutting the door.

I did what little homework I had and went back downstairs, tired of being cooped up in my room. I walked down the staircase and into the living room, flinching when I saw Damon and Elena talking.

"Elena, hi. What are you doing here?" I asked, and I turned around to see Stefan standing behind me, glaring at his brother.

"Oh, um. I'm sorry, Stefan I should have called." She said, ignoring my question.

"Hi Elena, thanks for stopping by." He replied, but his face was hard and he was glaring at his brother coldly.

"I was just about to show Elena some of our old family portraits." He grinned slyly and looked at me. "Stefan wasn't always such a looker."

I raised an eyebrow. And Stefan spoke. "Maybe you should go Elena, I need to talk to my…brother."

Elena furrowed her brows and opened her mouth, but simply nodded and slowly walked out of the house without another word.

"What did you tell her, Damon?" I saw Stefan blur by me and attempt pin Damon against the wall. Sadly for Stefan, his hand was simply holding air.

_Where did he go?_

I looked around in confusion and was surprised to see Damon sitting on a stair, merely a few feet from where he was standing.

"Ah, so I see Blondie knows about us." Damon commented, his form blurring and reappearing a moment later right in front of me.

I jumped and rolled my eyes as he stared curiously at me.

"Do you really think I'd run that fast if she didn't?" Stefan retorted as he sighed and walked into the living room, and sat down on the couch.

I felt hands on my waist and my world blurred before refocusing in the living room seconds later. My heart was beating out of my chest and I whirled around to see Damon with a smirk on his face. Without thinking, I pulled my hand back and slapped him as hard as I could.

We all stood there in silence, letting my action sink in. I realized what I had just done and to whom, and my mouth dropped open in shock.

I anticipated the rosy blush creeping into my cheeks, so I turned on my heel and walked over to the couch, sitting down and promptly picking up the remote and flipping through channels.

Damon scoffed. "You're a brave one aren't you?…or maybe just dumb to slap a vampire in the face."

"Give the girl a break, Damon. You've obviously taken her by surprise." Stefan spoke softly, and I looked at him nervously, thankful for his calm demeanor.

My heart kept up its nervous pitter-patter, and I turned my gaze back on the news channel that was currently on the TV. I heard Damon grumble something under his breath, and I rolled my eyes.

Nothing happened for a few moments, and I looked around, astonished to see both brothers gone. I watched the news for a few minutes, before drifting off.

The sound of glass moving and something pouring woke me from my light sleep.

 _Huh…? What time is it?_  I thought groggily, sitting up and rubbing my eyes.

Damon's jacket clad back met my eyes as I watched him pour himself a drink from the liquor stock that Zack kept in the cupboard.

"Good Evening, Blondie." He said cockily, turning around with a devilish grin.

I opened my mouth to get onto him about my nickname, but he interrupted me.

"Be happy I'm in a good mood, or your hand would be lying in the trashcan downstairs."

My mouth dropped for the second time that day, and he raised his glass and disappeared up stairs.

 _No wonder Stefan and him seem to have some unattended drama! Guy's a lunatic!_ I thought, shaking my head.

I glanced at the clock on the wall.  _7 p.m._

 _The party starts at 8:30!_  I realized, jumping up off the sofa and racing up to my room to get ready.

I texted Bonnie just before I left the house.

_'R U going tonight?'_

I finished applying the last bit of mascara and slipped on my boots. My phone dinged and I picked it up.

_'Yeah, Elena's riding with me, what about you?'_

I grabbed my keys and headed out the door, pausing for a moment to respond.

_'Yeah, Stefan said he'd get his own ride there.'_

-0-

Bonnie, Elena and I met at the party a bit later, and we stood there and chatted for a few minutes before Elena cheered. "Woo! The party has arrived guys!"

Everyone turned towards her and grinned as she whooped and ran into the pit of slightly drunk kids. I shook my head and glanced at Bonnie who simply grinned and shook her head at Elena's party-girl attitude. Elena had made her way into a pit of dancing kids and I watched with disgust as she started grinding over all the jocks.

"All she needs now is a shirt that says,  _"A dolla makes me holla!"_ and she'll be good to go." Elena chugged down a cup of beer and started dancing again. I heard Bonnie stifle a laugh and I looked at her and back to the crowd.

I scoffed and we stood there silently staring at the groups of kids, making out and partying like there was no tomorrow. We looked at each other again and made our way into the party, mingling and having a surprisingly good time for a while.

I saw Bonnie standing alone by the fire, and I walked up to her.

"So you felt a witchy vibe from Stefan? Like a bad, witchy vibe?" I asked Bonnie suddenly, remembering yesterday's conversation.

She furrowed her eyebrows. "I don't know what it was, I just saw like…well, it was like what I imagined pain and just…death to be like." She shivered and I gaped at her.

"Really?" I stared at her and she shrugged.

"I don't know, I'm probably just crazy and a bit drunk." Her gaze drifted to Tyler, who looked hammered as he grabbed the ass of some blonde in a grade below us as they danced in the pit of people. "Not as drunk as him though." We laughed.

"Well, I feel stupid just standing here, I'm going to go hang out with the others…" I started to walk slowly towards some of our other friends. "Coming?"

She sighed and rubbed her head. "No, actually I feel kind of sick…do you mind if you take Elena home for me?"

I sighed. "Be happy I'm your best friend, or else I'd have to say,  _hell_  no!" I chuckled.

She grinned. "You're the best, Care!"

"Drive safe!" I called as we walked over through the people and to her car.

I gave her a quick hug before she climbed into her car.

It backed away from the party and left me standing there all alone, deciding what I was going to do.

I glanced at my phone again, when I felt eyes on me. I suppressed a shiver as I glanced up quickly, looking around nervously.

I could have sworn I saw an animal looming in the bushes staring at me, but when I blinked, it was gone.

I scoffed and thought to myself,  _you're just too paranoid, Caroline, go on and have some fun!_

I ran back into the crowd and danced for a while with my friends, when someone grabbed my hips and started dancing with me. Something I did not want to feel brushed against my ass and I stepped forward and whirled around.

"Tyler?!" I exclaimed with a scoff. "What the hell! Get your junk off my ass!"

He rolled his eyes and scoffed. "Don't pretend you weren't having a good time, Forbes."

My scowl deepened. "Go grind all over Vicki Donovan or something, dick."

I turned on my heel and walked away. I really needed some air to clear my head, so I walked out onto the cute little bridge overlooking the Falls. I sighed and stared at the moonlit water, wishing it was deeper so I could swim. I vaguely heard footsteps approach and someone cleared their throat once they came to rest beside me.

"Fancy seeing you here." A deep voice tinted with a British accent murmured.

I turned my head and gasped. "It's you."


	4. Pilot : Part Three

There standing before me, was Klaus Mikaelson, the vampire I had been told to stay away from. He was dressed in a pair of dark jeans, gray v-neck t-shirt, and a leather jacket similar to the one he was wearing yesterday. His lips turned up into a strangely familiar wolfish grin, "I have a name, love."

Chills drifted over my body as he stared curiously-almost predatorily at me-, and I racked my brain.

"Klaus." I said, finally meeting his piercing blue-green eyes.

"Bravo, love, bravo." He clapped and grinned again. "So, what's a pretty, popular, party-goer like you doing away from the party?"

I shrugged and turned my head to stare back at the Falls. "I just needed some air." I shrugged again.

"Sure you did. Something wrong, love, I can tell." He pressed, but I didn't say anything.

I looked down at the rushing water, deep in thought.

"So, what's you're sad story, love?" He asked suddenly and I looked up at him.

I raised an eyebrow and stared at him head on.

"I can see it in your eyes, in your actions. Tinged in sadness." He simply stated, leaning against the railing and studying me.

"What makes you think that I'm sad?" I forced a smile on my face, but I knew it wouldn't reach my eyes. Forced smiles were usually like that.

"Well," he chuckled. "We did meet in a graveyard."

I smiled faintly and shrugged. "You don't want to know. It's not exactly party chitchat."

"Well were not at the party," he grinned slyly and I rolled my eyes, giving in.

"My mom and I were driving home a couple months back. It was kind of dark out, and we were driving on Wickery Bridge. A car came out of nowhere and my mom had to swerve to avoid hitting them. We drove off the side of the bridge and into the water. Somehow I survived, but my mom didn't." I turned my head back towards the water and stared out, letting my story sink in.

"You wont be sad forever, Caroline." He said gently and I looked at him curiously, wondering if he actually meant it.

I smiled faintly and looked back towards the party for a moment, wondering if I should head back. I turned back around to tell Klaus goodbye, but he was gone. I stared off into the forest on the other side of the bridge, away from the party, and I could have sworn I saw a wolf looming in the shadows. I easily dismissed it as having too much to drink.

I walked back to the party with a shrug. It was probably almost 10, and I wanted to go home.

"Elena!" I called into the crowd, looking around for my 'friend'.

"Hey, Matt!" I called to her boyfriend, walking up to the sad looking boy. "What's wrong?"

He turned to me and frowned. "Elena and I were talking tonight, and she said she wanted to break up."

I gasped and exclaimed. "Oh! Ugh, that's terrible. But, could I ask you if you know where she went?"

He looked around and shrugged. "I don't know, she just walked off towards the main road."

I frowned. "Well, I was supposed to take her home. Don't know why she would go that way."

**Elena's POV**

I walked through the crowd, my head down and my phone clutched in my hand. I made my way to the cars and looked around.

_Where was Bonnie? She said she would take me home!_

I scoffed and kept walking towards the main road.

_I'll just call my parents._

I whipped my phone out of my pocket and dialed my house's number.

_Let's hope they aren't so mad that they won't come and pick me up._

" _Hello?"_ Aunt Jenna's voice answered.

I sighed. "Hey Aunt Jenna."

I heard her sigh back and she said. "Hey Elena. How's that party going? Better than family night?"

"I'm sorry for leaving. Can I talk to mom for a minute?" I felt terrible for going. I should have just stayed home.  _But all my friends would have been grilling me for why I didn't go…oh well._

" _Sure, here she is_." Jenna replied and I heard her call her name, and my mom's voice answered.

" _Hey 'Lena_."

"Hi Mom," I answered, somewhat guiltily. "Can you come pick me up?" I sniffled and felt tears threatened to spill over. "Matt and I broke up."

" _Aw sweetie. I'm sorry!" she paused for a moment, as if thinking. "Isn't Bonnie supposed to take you home? I thought she was your ride_." I heard my dad's voice barely in the background.

"She was, but her car is gone. Can you please?" I pleaded with her. I really wanted to go home and just sleep.

My mom sighed and finally gave in. " _Fine, but you are going straight to bed. We're going to have to talk about your punishment for skipping out on family night_."

She told me with mock sternness. My mom was pretty much laid back. She didn't really care what I did, as long as I kept my grades up and didn't end up pregnant.

I smiled faintly, finally seeing the main road in sight. "Ok. I'm at the main road now. You and dad gonna come and get me?"

I heard keys rustling in the background. "Yeah, we're leaving right now. See you in a little while."

"Okay." I rubbed my eyes and felt the hangover creep over me slowly.

I sat down on the side of the road and waited, playing on my phone to pass the time.

About five minutes later, I heard a single, shrill scream and I jumped, looking around. No one was there, and I figured it was some couple in the woods, screwing against a tree like some kind of animals. I snorted under my breath and ran a hand through my hair. My parents' car pulled up.

"Hey." I said softly as I climbed in.

"Hey." My dad replied, and we headed back home.

* * *

**Caroline's POV**

I heard a scream faintly, and I shrugged it off. Probably some couple or something. I noticed Jeremy, a drink in his hand, stumble off into the woods.

 _Stupid kid!_ I cursed under my breath and followed him.


	5. Pilot : Part Four

**Caroline's POV**

"Jer!" I called, jogging lightly after him.

"Go away Caroline," he called over his shoulder.

"No! Elena just left and you need someone to look after you." I called again and he grumbled, but kept on walking.

I followed him quietly for a good minute or two, when Jeremy exclaimed and ran over to a spot on the ground.

"VICKI?!" He exclaimed and I ran over to him.

There was Vicki, lying on the ground, in a bloodstained shirt.

"Is she…" I asked, my voice cracking. I couldn't bring myself to say… _dead._

Jeremy fumbled to find a pulse and he breathed a sigh of relief.

"Barely." He reached down and scooped her up.

Vicki groaned softly, and her hair moved to hang in the air. I bit back a loud gasp when I saw a bite mark stand out prominently on her neck.

_Vampire!_

I cursed under my breath and followed Jeremy, who was practically running, back to the party.

"HELP! CALL 911! VICKI'S HURT!" he called urgently as we made our way back into the clearing.

"Hurry!" I encouraged them, and I saw someone whip out their phone and start dialing.

Matt came rushing forward, his face twisted. "Vicki?" he asked in disbelief.

"What happened?"

I shrugged, frowning. "Jeremy and I heard a scream, and I saw him venture out into the woods and I followed him. We found laying on the ground like this."

His frowned deepened and he brushed hair out of her face.

"The ambulance is coming!" a voice called and Matt yelled back a grateful thank you.

I looked into the crowd, and saw Stefan stare at Vicki's bite mark in horror, before quickly backing away and disappearing into the night.

**Elena's POV**

I blinked my eyes open, only to clamp them shut again. My head ached, and I coughed roughly, tasting dirty water come up in my mouth.

"She's awake." A female voice said, and I blinked my eyes open cautiously again.

"Hey," a nurse said, smiling down sadly at me.

_What happened? Where am I?_

I narrowed my eyes and looked around. "How did I get here?" I tried to sit up, but failed.

"Easy there sweetie, you don't want to rip your stitches." She said gently.

I brought my hand to my forehead, and winced when I felt the bandage over the two-inch long gash on the side of my head.

"How did I get here?" I asked again.

The nurse bit her lip and looked down. A tag on her jacket read Linda.

"Linda," I said again, and she met my eyes, tears brimming in them. "Please tell me."

She sniffled and grabbed my hand. "Elena, your parents passed away. Your car drove off of Wickery Bridge."

I stared at her in shock, not believing a single word she was saying.

"What?" I managed to mumble, my heart racing. The monitor beeped quickly along with my heart, and she placed a hand over mine.

"Honey, you need to calm down." she said softly, and I looked up at her face. She had kind hazel eyes and long brown hair.

"How am I even here?" my mind was racing and I thought back as far as I could. The last thing I could remember was...my car driving off the bridge and the water filling up.

My tears kept pouring down my face.

"How am I alive?" I asked again, looking up at her still.

The nurse furrowed her brows. "I-I don't know."

**Caroline's POV**

I walked into the boarding house with blood-stained hands. I shut the door and turned on the hallway light, my heart jumping in my chest when I saw Damon leaning against the entrance into the living room with a glass of bourbon in his hands.

"Gosh Damon, do you have to stand there in the dark all creepy like?" I grumbled as I put my keys back in my purse.

"Yes, as a matter of fact I do." he smirked. "I'm waiting for Stefan. I want to see how he did with a bleeding human lying about."

I gaped at him in disbelief. "You did that to Vicki? Why?"

He simply smirked and turned around to walk back into the living-room.

I groaned and followed him.

"I never said I did." he refilled his glass and I rolled my eyes.  _Such an alcoholic._

"Yeah, but you never said you didn't!" I pointed out. "Did you hurt my...friend or not?"

He rolled his eyes and turned on the lamp near the liquor cabinet.

"Since when are you and Vicki Donovan  _friends_?" he sat down on the couch and looked at me curiously.

I was still standing in the door frame where he was moments ago.

"Don't change subjects, Damon." I snapped. "I don't have time for your games, I'm going to bed." I turned back around to go up the stairs.

I heard an all familiar whoosh and cringed. He appeared in front of me and cocked his head to the side, an evil glint in his eyes.

"Leaving so soon, Blondie?"

I glared up at him, not in the mood for his games.

"Yes."

I walked around him and ran up the stairs, feeling his piercing blue eyes on my back.

I went into my room, shutting the door.

I slumped against the door and fear coursed through my veins like ice.

_Damon did that to Vicki...and he doesn't even seem to care! He's a heartless monster! Why can't he be more like Stefan in the sense of kindness and humility?_

I looked down at my bloodstained hands and cringed again.

Running into my bathroom, I stripped off my clothes and jumped into the shower. I stayed in until the water was long past warm, trying to scrub my body clean of this night's events. But I knew deep down, that that was impossible.

I climbed out once the water was unbearable and Zach banged on my door, asking if I was okay and that I needed to turn the water off.

I towel dried my hair and did my usual nighttime routine, which consisted of acne wipes, hydrating spray, and a thin layer of lotion.

I pulled on my black and white polka-dotted pajamas and climbed into bed.

**Third Person POV:**

Stefan walked into his house, a frustrated look on his face.

"Hello, brother." Damon said, stepping out of the shadows.

He was in the same place as before.

Stefan stared at him and scowled. "Were you the one that attacked Vicki Donovan tonight? Are you trying to expose us?"

His older brother laughed. "What makes you think I did that?"

"You left her alive you know." Stefan continued, ignoring Damon's question.

"I'm well aware that the girl's heart was still beating when I left her." A smirk drifted across his face and Stefan's scowl deepened.

"Why?" Stefan growled, and Damon simply shrugged.

He whooshed away and Stefan cursed under his breath, mumbling something that one shouldn't hear or say at any age.

**Elena's POV**

I woke in the middle of the night, all alone in the silence. My room was dark and quiet, other than the slow quiet beeping of the heart monitor.

I turned in my lumpy bed and pushed the call button. The nurse came in a few seconds later.

"Are you okay Miss Gilbert?" it wasn't Linda this time. It was an older lady with short gray hair and wise brown eyes.

I nodded. "Why am I here? Like what's wrong with me? Nothing hurts or anything so..."

I was in a bad mood, and I really wanted to wake up from this horrible nightmare.

 _Stupid nurse._ I scowled as she slowly walked over to the clipboard hanging on the door.

She scanned through my file and looked up at me.

"It says here that we're keeping you for a few days to make sure you don't have internal bleeding or any head trauma. We still can't figure out how you got out. Do you have any idea how you did?" she looked at me curiously.

I shook my head and winced slightly. "I don't remember anything after my car going into the water."

She studied my face.

"Okay, well if that's all you need, then I'm going to back to my station. Call me if you need anything else dear."

I told her I would and thanked her. I may be a bit conceited at times but I was always kind to older people, when I could help it. That's what my mom taught me, and I've always tried my best to do so.

_My mom._

My heart squeezed sadly and I rolled over in my bed and clutched one of the flat pillows to my chest. Sobs wracked my chest and I cried uncontrollably through the night for who knows how long. I fell asleep crying and I had a sickening feeling that I would wake up with puffy eyes.

The only question on my mind during the night was this.

_Who rescued me and why?_


	6. Night of the Comet : Part One

**Caroline's POV**

I ran through the woods, screaming at the top of my lungs, legs burning and branches whipping at my face. Now, what I was running from, I had no idea. I just had the sickening feeling that I needed to run. I had to run.

I couldn't not run.

I jumped over logs and branches with extreme power. I gasped as I cleared a creek in one bound, my step not faltering.

I continued to sprint, ignoring my burning thighs and calves. My screams of terror were less frequent now, they would only happen when I would slow down.

How was I here? What was I running from?

Those were just some of the questions that plagued my mind.

I knew my friends, Bonnie, Matt, Stefan, Elena, Vicki, Jeremy, Damon, Kla-

 _Him_.

I was so drawn to him for some reason.

Why?

I always pretended like I wasn't but deep down I knew.

_He knew._

He knew that there was some unknown allure to his darkness, some attraction to the man capable of doing terrible things. That cocky, arrogant, cheeky man, with his smooth accent and wolfish grin.

I was still running, despite the fast pace that my mind was whirring, trying to make sense of my life.

Moments later, the feeling of terror left me, and I suddenly no longer had the desire or strength to run.

I stopped in my tracks, leaning forwards and placing my hands on my knees, catching my breath.

I looked up to take in my surroundings and I momentarily freaked when I was in the place that Vicki was found.

_Why was I here?_

A stick snapped loudly, and something flew through the air and thudded in the leaves twenty feet away from me.

I jumped at the noise and turned around in a circle slowly.

Nothing seemed to be out of the ordinary, but I knew that something was.

_What was out of place?_

I finished turning around to where I started and sighed.

Another stick popped and I looked towards my left.

Nothing.

I turned back and screamed at the top of my lungs.

 _He_ was standing there, leaning against a tree, not even five feet away.

"Hello, love." he said and smiled cheekily, and long fangs peeped out.

I looked at his face in shock. His normally blue-green eyes were a dark yellow and had veins snaking under them. His mouth was turned up in a smirk, allowing two fangs to peek out.

_What was he? Since when do vampires have yellow eyes?_

He took a step forward and my heart thudded violently I my chest.

"Kl-klaus." I stuttered out. "What are you doing here?"

His smirk widened and he replied. "I'm here to see you, love."

He flashed forwards and appeared in front of me.

I screamed and...

Shot up in bed, heart racing and sweating.

I looked out my window, surprised to see rain pouring down. Lightning flashed, and I could have sworn I saw a wolf's eyes gleam in the darkness in the distance.

I sighed and rubbed the back of my neck.

A soft knock met my ears and I turned towards the door.

Stefan's head popped in.

"Are you okay, Care?" his hair was messed and eyes were sleepy. "I heard you scream."

I took a deep shaky breath, trying to decide whether or not I should tell him about the nightmare I had been having the last two nights.

"I've been having this same nightmare since Vicki got attacked Friday night." I explained, and he looked at me curiously.

I patted the space next to me and he slipped silently into my room, sitting at the edge of my bed.

"It's been about Klaus." his eyes widened in shock. "He came up to me at the party and we talked for a while."

I told him about or conversation and then about my nightmares.

"I think I saw a wolf outside a few minutes ago, and I saw eyes staring at me at the party..." I rubbed my eyes, realizing how crazy I would sound to a normal person.

 _Stefan's not normal and neither is your life, Care._  A voice in me whispered.

"Zach's told you about vervain, right?" Stefan asked me curiously.

I nodded. "I used to put it in my tea, but I keep forgetting to."

"You can wear it in a necklace or bracelet or even a ring and it does the same thing." he explained. "The only downside is that the vampire can remove it if you wear it."

"Hm," I said thoughtfully.

I got up and walked slowly over to my jewlery box, pulling out a heart locket with the infinity sign going across the middle of it.

"Would this work?" I opened up the locket, and showed him the small space, maybe 1 inch wide and an inch tall.

"May I?" he held out his hand and I placed the locket into his hand.

He carefully examined the locket's clasp and size. "Yes, I believe this will work." he glanced at the clock by my bed. "I'll be right back."

He disappeared for a momentarily but was back not even a minute later, holding a piece of vervain. He kept it away from his skin though, using his sleeve as a glove. I held my hand out and he placed it in my hand, then went and got some scissors off my desk.

"Cut this into little pieces and put it into your locket." he informed me, and I did so.

I shut the locket after I was finished and clasped it behind my neck.

"Okay, try to compel me." I said and Stefan's face distorted.

"Seriously Care?"

I shrugged. "I don't want to wear this if it's not going to work."

He sighed and gave in. I stared into his green eyes, watching in fascination as his pupils changed size. "Say what you're thinking."

I pretended to be compelled. "I am tired."

His eyes widened for a brief second but once I busted out laughing, he grinned in relief.

"Goodnight Caroline." he said with a small smile, walking out of my room and shutting the door behind him.

I smiled back at him before he was gone and laid down, shivering when the cold feel of the silver necklace hit my bare chest.

I closed my eyes and thought about happy thoughts, trying my best to ward off any bad dreams that were lingering around.

**Third Person's POV**

A man stood over the hospital bed of Vicki Donovan, staring at her curiously. He whispered something in her ear, pulling back with a sly grin on his face. Blue eyes sparkled ominously in the moonlight as he walked over to her window, opened it and jumped out, landing three stories down with a soft thud.

His hair was hit with the raindrops falling from the slight clouds that were barely covering the moon.

He pulled out a phone, typed in a message, and hit send, before disappearing into the night.


	7. Night of the Comet : Part Two

_**Caroline's POV** _

I woke up the next morning feeling groggy and like I got maybe two minutes of sleep last night. I wasn't happy at all. It was Saturday, and I was thankful for that, but I seriously wanted to sleep in more. It was already almost eleven, and I had to get up and get ready. I was helping Bonnie with fliers today, since it was the night of the comet. I sighed and stared up at the ceiling for a minute before getting out of bed and stumbling into my bathroom. As I stripped off my clothes, my hand hit the clasp of the heart locket, but I stopped instantly, last night flashing into my mind. I decided to leave it on during my shower. I quickly took a shower, going through the usual motions of washing my hair, then my body, and finally letting conditioner nourish my hair. Once I was done, I slipped on a simple outfit and drove into town to meet Bonnie.

"Tonight, night of the comet! Would you like a program?" Bonnie and I were standing in the town square, handing out fliers to people. Most people were ignoring us, but my mom had signed me up, so I drug Bonnie into it, and she had asked Elena, but, she bailed on us...again.

"Where's Elena?" I asked after I had tried – and failed to offer a flier to a pedestrian.

"You didn't hear?" Bonnie's face was that of surprise. "She got into an accident." she paused, biting her lip. "Her parents died." she whispered, sympathy clouding her eyes.

My mouth dropped open in an 'O' shape. "Really? Where? When?"

She didn't say anything for a moment. "Wickery Bridge. Same place where your mom died."

I blinked. "Wait – did you just say..."

She nodded. "What a weird coincidence, huh?"

I nodded in agreement and we continued to hand out the papers.

**Third Person POV:**

Stefan was sitting in the living-room, drinking a glass of scotch and flipping through an old diary. He was trying to keep his mind off Elena. It was evident in the way he kept fidgeting in his seat. Word travels fast in small towns like Mystic Falls.

He looked up from his book when Zach entered from the hall. "What is Damon doing here? Why did he come home?"

Stefan sighed and took another swig of his scotch. He loved his nephew, he really did, but it was times like this his incessant nagging got old. "It's 'cause I came home. He wants to make my life miserable, that's how he enjoys his."

The younger groaned and ran a hand through his hair, pouring him a glass of something strong. "Well, he's putting us at risk! The – Donovan? - girl in the hospital could talk."

"She won't." Stefan quickly replied. "I took care of her."

Zach eyes widened for a moment, as if he forget Stefan was one of the good ones. "You're sure?"

He shrugged, trying to not worry too much about it. "I'm not sure, Zach. I don't know how well it worked. I'm not as strong as Damon is."

Zach took a swig of his liquor and sat down across from Stefan on another couch. "What happens if it doesn't work?"

Stefan simply shrugged and got up, walking over to the liquor cabinet. "I don't know. I'll deal with it. Don't worry."

Stefan heard his nephew got up and he turned around. Zach had a serious look on his face. "Is she worth it? Uncle Stefan, this girl you came back for? I don't want your problems getting in the way of Caroline's life. She's been through so much, loosing her mom and all. I don't want you to cause more drama and loss in her life."

He didn't respond.

**Caroline's POV**

I walked into the Grill, with Bonnie right behind me. We decided to go into Mystic Grill to get something to drink. When we arrived, we saw Jer and Vicki talking. Jeremy gave her some pills, and I rolled my eyes.

"I can't believe he's selling pills now." Bonnie mused aloud, going over to sit at a booth. I followed behind her. We sat in the booth and watched Tyler stare at Jer and Vicki. He looked seriously jealous. I wonder if he knew that if he was nicer and not such a dick, maybe Vicki would actually like him.

Vicki downed the pills and grinned, obviously doped up on the pain meds she had gotten from the doctor. Tyler came up and said something, and she stormed off.

We got our drinks and quickly downed them. We needed to get back to work, there was a larger crowd then usual, and I didn't think Matt and his friends could handle them without us.

~Later~

Bonnie brought over a candle for me. "Hey, I got you a candle." She smiled and handed me a candle.

"Look who it is." Matt said, walking over to us. We looked in the direction he nodded his head, and saw Elena timidly walk over to us, a solemn look on her face.

"Hey." she said to Matt, and turned to us. "Hi guys."

"Elena!" Bonnie exclaimed, throwing her arms around her in a big hug. "I'm-" she looked to me and stopped herself. "I'm here if you need me."

Bonnie pulled away and I hugged Elena next. "Same for me. I know we aren't that close, but still, if you need me, I'm here too." I smiled as I pulled away.

Bonnie was headed back over with two more candles, one for Elena, and one for Matt. "Here." she lit mine, and I lit Elena's who lit – Stefan's. He and I met eyes briefly, and I nodded once at him, flashing a quick smile. He smiled back and started to talk to Elena. I saw Matt's face twist and him and Bonnie walked away, leaving me by myself.

I saw a candle waved in my perpheial vision, and I turned to light someone else's candle. I looked up to see piercing blue eyes.

"Damon." I said, almost in shock. "What are you doing here?"

He smirked mischieviously. Knowing him he had something up his sleeve. "What do you mean? It's a town party. I live in the town!" he shrugged innocently and continued, staring up at the dark sky. "You know, that comet... it's been traveling across space for thousands of years, all alone. Kind of like me." he smirked even wider and I rolled my eyes.

"Bonnie says it's a harbinger of evil." I shrugged, turning my eyes to the crowd. I saw a flash of blonde hair and piercing eyes, but they disappeared as soon as I recognized them.

Damon shrugged again. He looked out of the corner of his eye at his brother and Elena. "I agree with my brother, it's just a ball of snow and ice, trapped on a path that it can't escape. And once every 145 years, it gets to come home." he mimicked his brothers voice. It was almost scary how much he could sound like him if he wished to.

We stood in silence for a moment, and I looked back at Stefan, who was now standing alone, a broody look on his face. Elena was walking away from him, an extinguished candle in hand. I turned back to Damon, but he was gone.

I decided to watch the comet pass for a bit longer, when I discovered someone looming over my shoulder, to my left.

"Hello, Caroline." a deep voice purred in my ear, and I jumped.

"Klaus." I said, doing my best not to stutter. I felt the shock wear off and I heard myself say, "Creeper much?" I stepped forward and turned around to stare at his leather jacket clad body. "What?"

I looked at him dead in the eye, the light from the candle giving his face an odd glow.

"I was just stopping by to say hello." he smirked and stared back down at me. "I advise you go find Damon and Stefan." he paused and looked out of the corner of his eye.

I followed his gaze and saw Damon holding Vicki over the edge of the roof of a building near by.

I saw Stefan standing not too far behind, staring on in shock.

I started to sprint towards the building, leaving Klaus in the dust. I felt my body being picked up, and I appeared on top of the building, someone's arms around me.

My heard hammered in my chest, and I looked up at Klaus – whom had assisted me by jumping the both of us to the roof. By the time I looked back to the others, Vicki was on the ground at Stefan's feet, completely oblivious to Klaus' and I's arrival.

"Klaus." Stefan said through clenched teeth. "Leave Care alone." he turned to me. "Caroline, get over here."

Damon simply looked at me, and then to Klaus, who had an arm wrapped protectively around my waist. His eyes narrowed, but didn't say a word.

His form blurred, ripped me out of Klaus's arms, and threw me towards Stefan. My body flew through the air, and the next thing I know, I hit Stefan's chest with a thud. He carefully – yet quickly, threw me to the ground and I hit it with a thud.

Klaus and Damon were staring each other down, when Klaus spoke up. "I don't have time for you all." He looked towards me once, then disappeared.

Damon turned back around, a smirk on his face. "Now, where were we?" he looked at Vicki, still cowered on the ground, almost unconcious. "Ah – I remember." the grin spread and he pushed her hair back, whispering loudly in her ear. "What attacked you the other night?"

She came to slightly and stirred on the ground. Her scared eyes met Damon's blue ones, and she stuttered out, "I-i don't know. An animal."

Damon looked at his younger brother before staring at Vicki. "Are you sure about that? Think." he looked intensely at Vicki. "Think really hard. What attacked you?" Damon seemed to be able to break Stefan's compulsion ridiculously easy.

"A vampire!" the poor girl's eyes widened as she remembered, and she stared at Damon with a look that could only be described as pure and utter terror.

"Who did this to you?" Damon continued, and I got up, going over to Vicki.

"Leave her alone, Damon." I snapped, kneeling down next to her and hugging her.

"You did!" Vicki said seconds later, trying to hide in my grawsp.

"WRONG." Damon barked, and tried to pull her out of my grasp, but once I held on, he ripped her away.

"Don't." Stefan and I said at the same time, and I stared at Damon with a kind of sick shock. "It was Stefan."

"Damon, don't!" I snapped, getting extremely angry with him. Stefan didn't do anything to Damon, as far as I knew, why was he doing this to his young brother?

"Come here." he ignored our protests and grabbed Vicki on both sides of her head. "Stefan Salvatore did this to you."

Vicki repeated and the elder continued. "He's a vampire. A vicious, murderous vampire."

"Please, Damon. Please don't do this." Stefan was practically begging now.

Vicki mumbled the repetition and I suddenly felt a strange kind of anger wash over me. I stood up and slapped Damon across the face, causing him to stumble back a pace or two. He seemed as shocked as I was at my outburst.

"I-" I stuttered out, and Stefan rushed forward, pulling me back to hide behind him.

Damon stepped forward, cocking his head to the side. "Now, are you brave, or just plain out stupid, Blondie?"


	8. Night of the Comet : Part Three

He continued to stare at me. "A mixture of both, it seems." he said, almost to himself. His form blurred and he threw me against the door leading down. I grunted as the air was knocked out of me. As my vision focused, I looked up into his face. His icy blue eyes were staring at me with a predatory gleam, causing butterflies to flutter nervously.

"Leave her alone, Damon." Stefan said, and for once Damon seemed to listen. He backed away and picked up Vicki by her hair. She stood warily, whimpering.

"If you couldn't fix it before, I don't know what you can do now." the elder snorted in disgust as he ripped off the band aid, and threw her at Stefan. Vicki shrieked as her knees hit the pavement. I rushed forward, feeling pity for the poor girl. I glanced at Stef's face, and winced when I saw the pained look. I carefully moved her towards the door, where we sat on a few boxes.

Damon's nose scrunched up as if he smelt something foul. "Ugh! Your choice of lifestyle has made you weak. A couple of vampire parlor tricks is nothing compared to the power you could have, that you now need. But you could change that." he looked over to Vicki and I, a smirk playing across his lips. He disappeared for a moment, reappearing behind us. I spun around quickly, pulling Vicki to my chest.

"Human blood gives you that." he brushed the hair away from my neck and I stared at him, anger in my eyes.

"No!" Vicki whimpered trying to push him away.

"You have two choices. You can feed," he gestured to Vicki. "And make her forget." he walked to the side of the building, surveying the town square, which was packed full of people watching the comet. "Or you can let her run, screaming 'vampire' through the town square. Your choice." he shrugged and walked towards the younger of the two.

"That's what this is about?" Stefan scoffed. "You want to  _expose_  me?" he shook his head and his brother poked his chest. "No. I want you to remember who you are!"

"Why? So what, so I'll feed?" he looked at me warily, obviously wanting me to leave. "So I'll kill? So I'll remember what it's like to be  _brothers_  again?" Damon's face was emotionless as his brother spoke. "You know what, let her go. Let her tell everyone that vampires have returned to Mystic Falls. Let them chain me up, and drive a stake through my heart, because at least I'll be free of  _you_." Stefan snarled the last sentence, and I could see the hurt flash through Damon's eyes before it became replaced with annoyance.

"Huh." he raised an eyebrow and walked over to us. Vicki cowered behind me. "Huh." he said again, almost to himself. "Wow. C'mere, sweetheart." Damon repeated, and jerked Vicki from behind me. The way he said sweetheart was almost... dare I say it? … almost caring.

I snorted to myself. Right. As if he cares.

"No!" she protested, but he stroked her hair, trying to calm the thrashing girl down. "It's okay." he murmured something into her ear and she blinked, looking a bit confused.

Vicki left, seeming completely oblivious to what just happened. I stood on the rooftop with the brothers, watching them uncertainly.

"Go home, Care, I'll see you later." Stefan said.

"I-" I spoke, but Damon cut me off. "Yeah Blondie, see you later." He waved his hands in a shoo-ing motion and I rolled my eyes.

I walked down the stairs, slightly annoyed.

Bonnie waved at me from the Grill across the street, and I waved back, smiling. She motioned for me to come over, so I did.

"Hey!" she said, as we stood outside the front entrance, the music from inside softly playing the background. "Have you seen-" she stopped mid sentence and glanced up. "Oh, hey Stefan." she smiled politely and he said hello to the both of us.

"Have you seen Elena anywhere?" he asked, looking around nervously.

We shook our heads. "I think she went home."

He nodded solemnly. Bonnie rustled through her purse, and pulled out a slip of paper. "Here's her cell number and email. She's big on texting and stuff. God knows she'll need friends to talk to since her parents and all." she frowned sadly. Their hands met and Bonnie visibly stiffened.

"You okay?" he asked, narrowing his eyes.

"What  _happened_  to you?" she blurted out, but shook her head, smiling awkwardly. "That's so rude. I'm sorry. Excuse me." she walked away to her car without another word.

"Don't mind her, she usually wigs out randomly, it's like...her thing." I shrugged.

Stefan nodded uncertainly before turning back towards me. "Ready to head home?"

I shook my head, looking up at the sky. "I think I'll stay here and watch the comet for a bit longer."

His brown hair swayed in the gentle breeze as he nodded once. "Alright. See you at home, Care. Stay safe." he paused for a moment, as if considering what to say next. "Keep an eye out for, you know..." I nodded twice.

"I will, don't worry." I smiled encouragingly at him and he smiled back before disappearing into the parking lot.

I made my way to the clearing where some friends from school were standing. I stood with them and chatted for a few minutes, until they left, leaving me standing in the middle of the town square, looking up at the stars, the lanterns in the trees lighting the area with a surreal glow.

"Sorry, didn't mean to scare you." a voice said, and I turned my head to the parking lot.

I saw Damon cornering my friend, Alyssa. He was looming over her, looking dark and like trouble.

"No, it's fine." her voice carried on the wind, but it was faint. I headed over towards the shadows and walked on my tiptoes to my car, a few parking spaces down. I ducked beneath the windows and ran to my car.

By the time I reached it, Alyssa was speaking again. "I was hoping I'd see you again, you dark mysterious boy." I could picture Alyssa's smirk that she wore so often. Her and Elena were best friends, and both on the cheer team.

"I know." Damon's arrogant voice broke my train of thought.

"Cocky much?" She asked, and I peaked over the passenger side window so I could see them.

"Very much." he smirked even wider and started to stoop down. I could see his eyes narrowing and he opened his mouth to speak.

_No, he couldn't compel her to be his toy. She and I may not be that close, but still. No one deserves that._

"Oh! Damon!" I called, laughing under my breath at his irritated expression. "Cousin dearest!" I batted my eyelashes.

"What, Blondie?" he spat, smiling awkwardly at Alyssa, who was getting into her car after Damon backed away.

"Could you come help me?" I dropped my key and kicked it under my car, Alyssa's motor revving covering the clinking noise. "I dropped my key and I can't reach it."

Alyssa backed away and Damon slowly watched her pull away, irritation evident on his face. He walked over to me slowly. I saw Alyssa's car pull away, and he blurred over to me, getting my key out from under my car, and slamming it into my hood, leaving a hole in it. I gasped and took a step back.

"Uh." I blinked and looked up into his blue eyes, my heart flipping for some reason unknown to me.

"Is the Blondie jealous?" he grinned evilly down at me and took a step forward. "Does she want to play with me instead of Alyssa?" he wiggled his eyebrows and I scoffed.

"Not even in your wildest dreams, dick."

He snarled and stepped forwards again and again, until our noses were touching.

"I advise you back away, Damon." a voice said.

My eyes traveled over Damon's shoulder to see a dark figure standing there. He stepped into the light just as Damon cocked his head.

"Klaus." I breathed in what I assumed was relief.

"Hello, Klaus-y boy. What brings you here?" Damon sneered and leaned against my car, pulling the key out and tossing with one hand and catching with the other hand.

"The comet, like you. Or are you here for some other reason?" Klaus' head tilted to the side, mirroring Damon. "What are you up to?" he blurred forward and slammed him against the car beside mine.

"What am I up to?" he wiggled out of Klaus' grip and pretended to stroke an imaginary beard. "That's for me to know and for you to … dot dot dot." he turned to me. "Give Elena and Stefan my best, Blondie." he smirked and saluted Klaus sarcastically. "See you at home, Blondie dear."

I scoffed and when my eyes opened after a blink, they both were gone. I got into my car and drove home, worn out from the day. When I pulled into the driveway, I saw Stefan and Elena outside, leaning on the low wall. She was wiping her eyes, as if crying, and Stefan had her against his chest, stroking her hair softly. They seemed in their own little world, so un-alert they didn't notice my arrival. Stefan says something, and the next thing I know, they're kissing.

I got out of my car, and walked to my front door, getting out my keys so they wouldn't think I was spying. When I reached the front, they had already broken away, thank god.

"Oh." I said, as I saw them. "I didn't see you guys there." I blinked and dipped my head at Elena. "Hey."

She smiled and bit her lip before running a hand through her mussed hair. "Hi Care."

I smiled to the both of them again and went in, after telling Stefan goodnight.

Once I reached my room, I looked out my window and saw Elena's car pulling away. A knock on my door was what I heard next, and I turned around to go and open it. Stefan stood there.

"I'm happy for you two." I said, before he could say anything. "You'll be good for her. Maybe you can make her less self-centered."

He chuckled. "I think loosing her parents knocked her off the high horse everyone says she used to be on."

I nodded uncertainly, before a yawn hit me like a tidal wave.

He smiled politely. "Good night."

"Night." my door shut.


	9. Friday Night Bites : Part One

~Two days later, Monday morning at school~

As Bonnie and I walked into the school, we saw a semi-sad looking Elena talking to Stefan. She kept playing with her hair and being her usual flirty self. My eyes darted across the room to Matt, who had that sad puppy look as he gazed at Elena.

Poor Matt.

I looked at Bonnie and my eyes darted over to Matt a few times, and then over to Elena and Stefan, who were still talking in front of her locker.

She sighed and we went over to Matt.

"Hey Matt!" I greeted with a smile. My bright smile was met with a sad little one.

"Hey Care. Hey Bonnie." he said, his eyes again traveling over our shoulders to Elena.

"What's wrong?" Bonnie asked, frowning. I frowned too and nudged her hard in the side.

"Matt." I said, laying a hand on his shoulder. "I know you like Elena, like, a lot, but let her go. She's not worth it." I trailed off and he nodded once before turning around and slamming his locker shut, hard enough to make us jump.

I frowned as he stormed off to his first class.

"Bonnie! Care!" Elena called over to us next and we went over to her. "Hey!" she greeted, smiling, but I could see the pain from her parents' death in her eyes.

"How are you?" Bonnie asked, after giving her a hug.

Elena bit her lip and then batted her eyes up at Stefan. "I'm doing better, thanks."

Stefan grinned like a lovebird down at her. "So, girls, I really should get to class so Mr. Gardener doesn't chew me out..." he  
trailed off and we nodded in acknowledgment. His head dipped down and pressed a kiss to Elena's temple. Her cheeks blushed crimson and he walked off.

Bonnie huffed and ran a hand through her hair. "We need to talk Elena, at lunch." she said as a matter of factly, and I nodded once, having a feeling of what she was speaking of.

Elena groaned in protest but agreed. We then made our way to our first class, and then to our second. After the bell rang we all met one another in the courtyard, where some of the kids were sitting in the grass eating lunch. We picked an empty picnic table under a tree and sat down.

"Yes?" Elena asked curiously.

Bonnie sighed, running a hand through her hair again. "I'm not saying don't date the guy, I'm just saying take it slow." she started, and Elena looked a bit confused.

"But you were the one who said to go for it...?"

"Now I'm saying take it slow." Bonnie retorted, and I cut in.

"No offense Elena but I can't believe you dumped Matt, only to go out with Stefan the next day...right after your parents died too..." I added the last sentence almost as an after thought, regretting it immediately.

Elena scoffed. "Yeah, I'm so that girl. Plus, I dumped his clingy ass before my parents died." she said, causing me to raise my hands in a 'no offense' gesture.

Bonnie shook her head, coming to my defense, thankfully. "All we're saying is you're single for the first time in your entire high school career..."

"What aren't you saying?" Elena prodded, and Bonnie bit her lip.

"It's stupid."

"Bonnie..." Elena practically begged.

"What?" she replied innocently.

"Spit it out." she demanded, slapping her fist on the table.

Bonnie hesitated for a moment before mumbling. "I accidentally touched Stefan and got a really bad feeling."

Elena laughed in disbelief. "IS that it?" when Bonnie didn't respond, simply stared off into the distance, I helped Elena.

"Bonnie." I said, shaking her.

"It was bad bad!" her eyes showed fear and you could tell she was so unsure about everything.

Elena raised a single eyebrow and scoffed, getting up. "Is this the whole 'witch mojo' thing again?" she demanded, exasperated.

Bonnie and I stood up too, and Bonnie placed a hand on Elena's shoulder. "You know what?" she opened her mouth as if to say something nasty, but seemed to change her mind. "I'm just concerned. This is me, expressing concern about my best friend's new boyfriend."

A smile twitched on Elena's face.

"Hey," I said. "I'm expressing concern here too." I paused. "Just, not in the best way. Sorry." Elena nodded once at me.

"And I love you both for it, I do. But I feel good! It's been a hard last few days, and I've grieved my parents the night it happens. They'd want me to get back to normal, and quickly. It's getting back to normal, and Stefan is a big part of being back to normal."

I sighed and raked a hand through my hair. "What about Matt? He could have helped you get back to normal! Matt's a great guy Elena. I don't appreciate you breaking his heart for no reason."

Matt and I had never been too close, not like Bonnie and I, but we were good friends. He was kind of like my brother, sweet, caring and just awesome.

Her bottom lip jutted out in a pout. "But I like Stefan now. Matt kept talking about marriage and the future." her pout turned into that of a smirk. "I want to live in the moment, not the future!"

I furrowed my brows. Was that girl never happy? Constantly what she wants, what makes her happy. Not what could make everyone happy?

"I have to go." She glanced at her phone, smirking again. "Stefan's calling." and with that, she walked off.

Bonnie and I were speechless as she walked away. As our eyes followed her form into the school, I caught sight of Jeremy sneaking over to the stoner pit behind the school.

"I have to go." I said aburptly, walking quickly after Jeremy.

"Care!" Bonnie called after me.

I turned around and started to walk backwards when Bonnie's brows furrowed. "Watch out!"

I backed into something hard and turned around.

"Oh," I said apologizing already. "I'm sorry."

My eyes met a pair of icy blue ones and I saw Damon standing in front of me.

"Hello Blondie, seen Stef anywhere?"

"I – uh, um." I stuttered and glanced back at Bonnie, who was already walking to the building.

"You know," he said. "It helps if you actually walk forwards, instead of backwards. Your hair might be affecting your brain."

I whirled back around after I felt his fingers brush my neck as he picked up a strand of hair.

"I don't know where your brother is, Damon, and I don't have time to deal with you right now." I batted his hand away and started to stride off after Jeremy, who was now out of sight.

I saw Damon's figure keep up with my strides easily.

"Caroline, why the rush?" his lithe fingers grasped my wrist and stopped me in my tracks. He studied my face for a moment, and then looked over at the stoner pit, concentrating. "Ah." he mused aloud after a moment. "I see, you're worried about baby Gilbert." he paused again, obviously concentrating on his voice. "He's arguing with the tasty – uh – some girl."

My stomach went in knots when he said tasty.

_So he was the one who bit Vicki! How else would he know that she was 'tasty'?_

I shuddered but looked away from the fence between Jeremy and I, and looked back at Damon. "Thank you for informing me, I think." I tore my hand away, almost forgetting it was in his grasp and started walking back into the school. "I have class to go to."

Once I was at the entrance, I glanced over my shoulder to see that there was no dark haired man behind me, to my relief.

At the end of the day, I ran into Bonnie, and then we ran into Elena and Stefan.

"Hey Bonnie," he nodded at her. "Caroline." he smiled at the both of us and Bonnie returned a small smile back.

"Hey, um, Care, I have to go see my Grams, I promised I'd go visit her today after school. Um, bye guys." Bonnie quickly walked away and I looked at Elena, who looked at me. We exchanged a confused look before Stefan spoke.

"Well," he said with a sigh. "She doesn't like me very much."

Elena laid a hand on his forearm. "She doesn't know you." she looked at me, shooting me a thankful look for not leaving, even though I voiced my dislike for her new boyfriend. "Bonnie's our best friend, She's just looking out for me. When she does know you though." she paused, a bright smile covering her face. "She'll love you."

I glanced over Stefan's shoulder, tuning out the two's conversation. Matt, Tyler, and some freshmen were throwing around a football. I saw Tyler say something, and Matt scowl.

"Caroline?" Elena's shrill voice cut into my brain, and I looked back at her.

"Yeah?"

"You, Bonnie, Stefan and I. My house. Dinner at 8:00." she announced.

"I don't know if -" I started to say.

"No ifs, ands, or buts about it! Us four will spend some quality time together and everyone gets to see what a great guy you are. Mission accomplished!" she grinned and clapped her hands together.

I looked at Stefan, to see what he though about this. He was smiling, but I could tell by his eyes his mind was a mile away. Over his shoulder, I saw Tyler throw the football at Stefan.

"St-" Elena and I started to say, but Stefan whirled around before we could even open our mouths. His hands shot out and caught the ball.

Elena and I both looked at Matt and Tyler, who both wore shocked expressions.

We continued to talk, well, Elena continued to blab about how Stefan showed Mr. Tanner up by knowing a bunch of history dates better than him.

My phone rang, stopping Elena' monologue, to my lovely surprise.

"Hello?" I answered, walking a few feet away so I wouldn't interrupt Elena or Stefan.

"Hey Care!" it was Bonnie. "You're coming to cheer practice today, right?"

I slapped my forehead. "Oh! That's right! I totally forgot! Tell the girls I might be a bit late, okay? I left my things at home."

"Alright, see you there!" Bonnie said, and we hung up.

I told Elena and Stefan goodbye and went to my car. I drove home quickly, seriously hoping I wouldn't run into the elder Salvatore.

Once I got my cheer uniform and a change of clothes, I went back to school. When I arrived, I was a bit late, but not so late that I would look late. If that made any sense.

"Hey girls!" I said, waving as I jogged over to the already practicing girls.

"Oh my god!" Elena and Bonnie exclaimed, grinning. "You're here!"

"Yup!" I grinned adjusting my pony-tail. "Can't be sad girl forever, right Elena?" she nodded and grinned at me. "The only way to get things back to the way they used to before the whole wreck, is this!" I smiled even wider.

"Oh!" Elena exclaimed, looking over at Bonnie. "Dinner, 8 tonight. You, me, Caroline, and Stefan. No excuses. You have to give him a chance."

Bonnie frowned and continued to stretch. "Tonight's no good." she looked around, obviously trying to find something to change the subject to. "Hey." she said to the group. "Has anyone seen Alyssa?"

Everyone chimed no, and we furrowed our brows.

"Don't change the subject, Bonnie Bennett!" Elena commanded. "You're going to be there."

"But-" she started to protest, only to be cut off by Elena yet again. "You're going."

"Fine." she mumbled, and Elena bobbed her head once.

"Good."

A while later, after we all were sweaty and had been practicing our cheers – well I tried to keep up, but failed epically – I asked. "Where's Alyssa? She's co-captain, why isn't she here yet?"

Elena shrugged, only to hear a car pull up a minute later.

"Oh my god, what is Alyssa doing with mystery guy from the night of the comet?"

Alyssa kissed her chauffeur before climbing out of the car in the shortest shorts I had ever seen on her, and a tank top. She wore a scarf around her neck, and I immediately got suspicious.

"That's not a mystery guy that's-" Alyssa cut me off before I could even continue.


	10. Friday Night Bites : Part Two

"Klaus Mikaelson." a smirk drifted over her face. "Yes, he's in college, he's hot, I know, and yes, he's brand spanking new."

She turned and watched him drive away.

Another car drove up a moment later, and I saw Damon in the driver seat. He had his shades on, trying to be 'cool'. Probably more like the sun hurt his eyes. I hope he burned his retinas out. An irritated smirk appeared on my face, and it grew as he drove slowly by, waving at us. He drove away, headed towards the football field. Part of me wondered where he was going, while another part of me didn't care. At all.

"Okay girls! Let's start with the double pike herkey hurdler, what do you say?" Alyssa flipped her light brown pony over her shoulder and adjusted her booty shorts. She reminded me of myself freshman year. I'd just grown out of all my 'baby-fat' and I was a bit of a narcissistic diva, always trying to be the best cheerleader. Ah, who am I kidding, I'm still a narcissistic diva...just...not as bad as her.

"And..." Alyssa started to count, and I kept up, only faltering a few times. I hadn't practiced in months, I lost my flexiblity, and my mind kept wandering, so by the end of the routine, I was just standing there stretching, trying to not get too frusterated.

"Caroline, sweetie, why don't you just observe today?" Alyssa simpering voice broke me out of my thoughts.

I huffed in frustration and nodded. I walked over to the football field, following Elena, who also announced she wanted to take a quick breather.

"Hey." I said, trying to be friendly.

"Hi." she replied. "Oh. My. Goodness." she clapped her hands together. "I knew Stefan would try out for the team!" she beamed and waved at him. While he was distracted, Tyler threw the ball, and him and Matt collide. They both fall to the ground.

Elena gasps and starts to run over, only to be blocked by Coach Tanner.

"Was he alright?" I asked as she came back over.

She shrugged. "Dunno, the jerk wouldn't let me see him."

I glanced at my phone. Cheer practice was over now, or would be in five minutes. "Hey, I'm going to head home, okay?"

She waved once. "Alright. And don't forget. Dinner. My house. 8 p.m."

I grinned a bit and nodded before jogging to my car, only to find Klaus leaning against his own, which was parked next to mine.

"Love." he nodded once at me, a smirk on his face.

"Klaus." I said back, studying him uncertainly. I wanted to say, I'd appreciate if you didn't use my friend as a blood-bag, but it was then I remembered Klaus thought he compelled me to forget him jumping the both of us onto the roof the night after.

_Thank god for vervain._

"What are you doing here?" I said instead.

He shrugged. "Just waiting for my girlfriend." He gauged my reaction and unlocked my car door.

"Oh." I smiled at him and waved once before climbing into my car. "See you around."

I shut my door, and could of sworn I heard him say, "Yes, yes you will." but I wasn't sure due to the door being a sound barrier.

I drove home to find Stefan and Damon talking – er Damon talking, Stefan irritatedly listening.

"I gotta run. I have a date. Sweaty palms." he shook his hands, then smiled cheekily at me as he noticed my presence. "Wish me luck." he winked at me and I raised an eyebrow.

"Damon has a  _date?_ ' I asked in disbelief and heard him yell.

"I DO INDEED!" he reappeared in the living-room, right in front of me, causing me to jump. "Be jealous." he poked my collar bone. "Because. It's not. With. You." he smirked down at me and disappeared again, the front door slamming a sign of his departure.

I rolled my eyes. "I pity the girl who has to deal with him all day."

Stefan laughed. "I think the world does." he plopped down on the sofa. "So. Are you going to Elena's dinner party tonight?"

I sighed and shrugged. "I guess. I don't know what she's trying to prove to me. I know all about you and I like you well enough. As a brother, of course." I added the last part, shrugging.

He smiled and shrugged as well. "I think you should go." he picked up a journal, shutting it. "But that's just me."

I nodded thoughtfully. "I dunno. I'm going to head up to my room. C'ya around."

I headed upstairs and into my room. After I changed into a potential outfit for Elena's I sat down on my window seat, staring out the window for a moment before starting to journal.

_Dear Diary,_

_So, Elena wants me to go to this dinner party at her house with Stefan, Bonnie and her. I don't know what she's trying to prove to me. I live with Stefan and know all about him. I might go, I might not. Don't know yet._

_I haven't talked to you in a while, which is bad because Zach would throw a fit if he found out._

_A certain hybrid-vampire tried to compel me, but I finally got my hands on some more vervain and Stefan informed me that if I put it in a necklace or wear it on my person, I can't be compelled. I've been wearing my necklace, even in the shower. I'm going to start putting some more in my tea or drinks too. I'm afraid of being compelled...by anyone. Damon or Klaus the most..._

_Well, I better get going._

_Caroline_

I shut my journal and glanced at the clock. It was only 7 p.m. My decision on whether or not to go over to Elena's was still up in the air, so I decided to take a quick shower. If I did end up going over, I didn't want to be all sweaty and stinky. I got a quick shower and hopped out, taking my time with makeup and hair. I left it down in it's usual curls, and applied a bit of powder, mascara, and lipgloss. I flicked the eyeliner on my eyes quickly before getting dressed. By this time, it was already 8 p.m. My stomach growled, and I finally decided. Elena's it was.

I smoothed out my simple dark wash jeans and pink blouse, before jogging downstairs and into the study, where Zach spent most of his time.

"Zach?" I called knocking lightlly on the door.

"Caroline?" I heard his muffled response. "C'mon in."

I stepped in, a small smile on my face. "Hey. Er – I was going to head over to Elena's for dinner. We're having a little dinner party. Stefan, Elena, Bonnie and I." I nodded once. "Wait. Is that okay?"

Zach finally turned around from the bookshelf and smiled slightly. "That's fine Caroline. Go on ahead."

I thanked him and quickly headed to my car. The drive into town was quick, and I reached Elena's around 8:20.

Elena greeted me, stating that they were all in the dining room eating. I got my plate quickly and sat down next to Bonnie.

"Did Tanner give you a hard time today?" Elena broke the uneasy silence that had settled over the room. Bonnie and Stefan were both at loss for what to say before Elena spoke up. I was a bit at loss too. I wanted them to be friends, but I didn't know how to make that happen.

Stefan chewed thoughtfully for a moment. "Well," he swallowed, and a brief look of unease passed over his face, so fast that I almost didn't catch it.

 _He must not like human food. I'll have to ask him later._ I made a mental note and he continued.

"He let me on the team, so I must have did something right."

Elena's face lit up. "Bonnie, you should have seen Stefan today." she bragged, batting her long – probably fake – lashes at him as she talked. "Tyler threw a ball  _right_  at him and..."

Bonnie smiled uneasily. "Yeah, I heard." I raised an eyebrow at her. She practically cut her friend off.

"Um, Bonnie, why don't you tell Stefan about yourself?" I suggested, finally speaking up.

She furrowed her brows. "Uh, I don't know what to say..."

"Tell him about your family?" Elena put in, and Stefan's face grew curious.

"Um, divorced. No mom. Live with my dad..." she explained trailing off.

"No, silly." Elena giggled. "About the  _witches!"_

Stefan didn't look surprised. "Your family is a lineage of witches, right Bonnie?" I asked.

She nodded, not saying anything.

"It's so cool." Elena gushed, sounding like a typical school girl.

Her friend visibly stiffened. "That's not the word I'd use."

Stefan set down his fork, his plate empty. "Well, it's certainly interesting. I'm not too versed, but I do know that there's a history of Celtic druids that-"

I cut him off. "Migrated here in the 1800's right?" everyone looked a bit shocked.

_Yeah, I'm not as dumb as I can act sometimes._

I smirked. "Our teacher talked about it freshman year. That was the one thing I was interested in."

"My family came by way of Salem." a dark look passed over her eyes and we continued to chat about the witches history and Bonnie slowly got to know Stefan better. I could tell by the time we were sitting in the living-room that they were going to be friends. We were still on the topic when the door rang. Elena, Bonnie, and Stefan were still deep in conversation.

"I'll get it." I offered. I got up off my seat and walked to the door, swinging it open to reveal someone whom I was not pleased to see.

"Alyssa, hi?" I said uncertainly. I could see another figure's outline, but I couldn't make out who it was.

"Klaus, love, come on and say Hi!" she chirped at him and he slowly turned around a wolfish grin on his face.

"Hello, I'm Klaus." the wolfish grin stayed on as I nodded at him, sticking my hand out to shake his hand.

"I'm Caroline." I said through my teeth. "It's g-great to finally meet you." I so very badly wanted to scream at him and tell him to go die in a hole, but I didn't. His blue-green eyes sparkled at me, and my stomach flipped.

 _What?! Why did_ that _happen?_

I heard Elena's footsteps and I turned to look at her.

_Oh, please. Do not invite that monster inside._


	11. Friday Night Bites : Part Three

"Surprise!" Alyssa chirped as soon as Elena appeared. "I overheard Bonnie say you were doing dinner, so we brought – er -" she looked to Klaus who grinned.

"We brought the need to get to know each other more!" his smile was probably supposed to be charming, but to me, it was annoying.

"Oh." Elena said dumbly and Stefan walked up. He set a hand on my shoulder and I watched Klaus' brows furrow for a split second. "What are you doing here, Klaus?"

He smiled. "Waiting for my girlfriend's friend to invite me inside."

Stefan scowled and Alyssa gaped. "OMG! You two know each other? No way!"

"Oh, yeah, you can..." Elena said awkwardly.

"No, no, no. He can't, uh... he can't stay, can you Klaus? Don't have to go hunt some...uh, wolves... tonight?"

By this time, Alyssa had wriggled her way inside. She placed a hand on her hip, and batted her eyelashes at Klaus. "Get in here."

"We're just...finishing up..." Stefan continued to try to dissuade Elena to let him in, but it was to no avail.

"It's fine." Elena flashed a small smile and ran a hand through her hair. "Just come on in."

Klaus smirked and watched as his foot passed through the threshold of the Gilbert home. "What a beautiful home you have, Elena." he complimented.

She smiled again, still a bit awkwardly. "Thank you."

Stefan squeezed my shoulder a bit harshly, and I flinched, causing him to immediately remove it.

"Sorry." he murmured under his breath, and then we went into the living-room.

We chatted for a few minutes, Klaus trying to be sly and bringing up some ex-girlfriend or something to bother Stefan. And then there was Alyssa and Elena...ugh.

"Caroline you weren't so lucky today, right?" Elena frowned.

"Yeah! That's what I was thinking!" Alyssa butted in. "It's only because you missed summer camp! Gosh! I don't know how you're ever going to learn the routines!"

"I'll work with her. She'll get it!" Bonnie encouraged me, shooting the girls a look. They didn't seem to notice, and Elena started to mumble to herself, already planning.

"We could move her to the back..."

Alyssa nodded and Klaus spoke up, leaving his 'girlfriend' and Elena to mumble to themselves about cheer leading.

"You don't seem like the cheer leading type, love."

I started to open my mouth, but Elena cut me off. "Oh, it's just because her mom died and her dad is God knows where." she shrugged, and Alyssa nodded sympathetically.

"Right? She's totally going through a blah phase. She used to be way more fun!" Alyssa's eyes widened.

"We say that with complete sensitivity." both girls nodded vigorously and Bonnie continued to glare at them.

"I'm surprised Elena's still holding in, but you weren't as close with your mom, were you?" Alyssa asked, and she shook her head.

"No, we never were that close. They were always working."

The doorbell rang, and Elena jumped up to get it.

I heard her invite someone in, and Stefan and I both stiffened. Damon and Elena walked into the living room. The three men in the room locked eyes, and I could taste the tension between them. It was uncomfortable.

"Damon." Stefan said, feigning kindness. A girl walked up behind them and my eyes widened.

"And Vicki." he continued. "What a pleasure."

I forced a smile as well and Bonnie smiled, greeting Vicki, and introducing herself to Damon. The couple sat down and Klaus and Damon made eye contact a few times, their eyes darting to Alyssa every few seconds.

 _Looks like Klaus got Damon's toy. What a pity._  I thought sarcastically.

"So," Elena smiles. "We were talking about Care and I, yeah?"

"Yeah!" Alyssa piped up, mostly doing all the talking, as usual. "Elena's parents died – along with Caroline's." she said in a faux whisper.

"I'm sorry girls!" Damon said, pouting. "I know what it's like to loose both your parents, in fact, Stefan and I have watched about every single person we've ever cared about die." he wiped his eyes dramatically and leaned back, tossing an arm over Vicki's shoulders. She leaned into his touch, but I looked towards her eyes. The poor girl looked scared shitless!

Damon must be compelling her. I realized, wanting to slap Damon again.

"We don't need to get into family problems now do we?" Klaus spoke. "I think both of our families have enough to last  _lifetimes_."

"Oh, you know what, you're right. I'm sorry, Stef." Damon was laying on his so-called charm thick. "The last thing I wanted to do was bring her up...mmmm" he shook his head, as if chiding himself.

Alyssa must have caught onto the hints about whoever 'her' was. "Who? Even Klaus said something about a her." she looked to the two brothers. "Your ex-girlfriend died?"

"Alyssa." Bonnie hissed through her teeth.

"Yeah, shush." Elena agreed for once.

She blushed crimson and Stefan spoke before his brother could 'stuff his foot into his mouth' any further. "It's no big deal. She was all our girlfriend at one point, and she died in a fire. End of story." he shrugged nonchalantly.

We chatted idly until Elena and Alyssa to go upstairs and Bonnie and I go into the kitchen to do the dishes.

I turned the water on and started to wash plates. "I can't believe Vicki is with _Damon_ ," I murmured, knowing the vampires couldn't hear me due to the running water.

Bonnie nods. "It's strange. I remember Matt saying to Tyler how she was terrified of him at first, once she saw him at the grill. Afterwords she seemed to be okay with him." she smiled. "You should have seen Lockwood's face. Pure rage." she looked towards the staircase. "Jeremy is probably mad too. Didn't they have some 'thing' going on? I remember seeing the talking occasionally."

I nodded, confirming the 'thing'. We continued to wash dishes until Bonnie's phone rang. It was her dad, telling her it was time for her to come home and finish the homework he found in her backpack.

I shut off the water, giving Bonnie a hug. "Bye Bon. I'll tell Elena and Alyssa good-bye for you if you'd like."

She hugged me back but kindly declined my offer. "S'okay. I'll run up there and see them before I leave."

She dried her hands off on the towel and I heard her tell the boys and Vicki that she would see them around.

I then begun to dry off dishes and put them away. I noticed a figure walk into the room out of the corner of my eye. I looked up to see Damon holding a glass.

"One more." he murmured, handing it to me.

"Oh, thanks. Must've missed it." he purposely dropped it, but caught it before it hit the floor.

 _Show off._  I thought, biting back an eye roll.

"Nice save." I mumbled, forcing a smile onto my face. I found myself chuckling, imagining Damon's embarrassment if he had missed the glass.

He smirked at me, helping me dry the last couple of dishes. "I like you."

I raised an eyebrow.  _Excuse me?_

"You know how to laugh. You and Elena make Stefan smile, which is something I haven't seen in a very long time." he finished.

I rolled my eyes. "Glad to know I could be of  _some_  use to your immortal lives."

The corner of his lips quirked up, and I found myself asking. "Earlier, who were you talking about?"

His ice-blue eyes got a faraway look in them for a moment. "I'm sure you've heard about Katherine."

When I shook my head, he continued. "She was this girl, this bitchy, beautiful girl. She was very complicated and selfish, normally not very kind, but  _very_  sexy and seductive. You'd have to ask Klaus who dated her first, because I'm sure Stefan and Klaus' answer differs from mine."

I nodded thoughtfully, and we continued to put away dishes.

"It does." a British voice said, and Klaus stepped into the room. He leaned against the island and rolled his eyes. "Alyssa won't come downstairs, she's too busy up with Elena. His lower lip jutted out in a pout.

"No surprise there." I stated.

"I'd quit cheer leading if I were you." Damon murmured suddenly, and I raised an eyebrow.

"How do you know that I cheer?"

"I have my ways." he winked at me, and I could see Klaus' form visibly stiffen just the slightest out of the corner of my eye.

"I agree, love." the quieter of the two said.

"Why do you say that?"

Klaus shrugged. "I saw you at practice, you looked annoyed and confused."

"You saw that?" I put away the last glass and wiped my damp hands off on my jeans.

"Is he wrong?" Damon countered.

I sighed. "I used to love it, all the jumps and cheers, it was a blast." I shook my head, staring at a fixed point on the wall. "Everything's changed this year. Stuff that used to matter, doesn't. It's like I'm a new person."

"Quit, move on." Klaus offered.

"Problem solved." he spun the rag around in a circle and playfully hit my leg with it. "Ta da!"

"Some things could matter again, though. What if I quit, and regret it later?"

"Seems unrealistic to me, luv." Klaus shrugged.

"I'm sorry." I said softly. "About Katherine. You both lost her, too."

Klaus snorted. "I wasn't involved with Katari – Katherine for long."

Damon smirked, reminiscing for a bit. "That's right, you had a thing for Chandra, didn't you?"

He stiffened visibly, and I could have sworn I heard him growl. I must have looked a bit confused, because he continued.

"Ah, yes," he smirked. "Chandra Ambrose." he whistled. "What a girl."

"I'd ask you to stop talking about my past, but I know it wouldn't do any good." Klaus's fists tightened and I hoped he could stay in control.

"She used to accompany Katherine where ever she went." he smirked, his eyes looking far away again.

"Hey." Vicki said, smiling slightly. "Do you all need some help?"

Klaus smirked. "Sure, love, why not?"

I walked past them into the living room to find Alyssa sitting with Stefan, chatting.

"Hey guys." I smiled and sat on the recliner. "Where's Elena?"

"She's upstairs, think she ate something bad." Alyssa shrugged.

Stefan had been studying Alyssa for a while now, and it was unknown to her. She really could be an airhead sometimes.

"That's a really nice scarf." I said. And it was really actually pretty.

"Can I see it? I mean would you mind taking it off?" Stefan asked, a strange look on his face.

"Oh." she chuckled. "I can't."

"Why?" I asked, and Stefan asked the question that I was about to ask next.

"You okay?"

Her eyes clouded over, looking confused and lost. "All I know is that I can't take it off."

"Hey guys, what are you up to?" Klaus asked, hiding his obvious suspicion poorly.

"Stefan and I were just admiring her scarf, is all." I explained.

"Hmm." he said. "Hey, you know, um, Elena is upstairs sick. Maybe you both should go see if she's okay."

"We aren't that close, and I have a weak stomach." I looked at Stefan, who's face was blank.

 _You aren't supposed to know about him, Caroline._  I reminded myself.

"For me?" he smirked down at me.

I rolled my eyes. "Is that supposed to persuade me?"

He looked at me, his green-gray eyes shrinking and enlarging. I realized he was attempting to compel me. "Go see if Elena is alright upstairs."

"Hey Stefan." I said, sounding unlike myself. "I'm going to go see if Elena's alright."

Alyssa agreed with me.

He nodded, and Klaus smirked even wider. "Great."

I walked towards the stairs and walked halfway up before stopping, allowing Alyssa to head on up.

I trained my ears towards the living-room and listened in closely.

"She's a person Klaus, they both are. They don't exist for you to order them around – or to feed on whenever you feel like getting a drink." I heard Stefan chide him.

"Riiiight." I heard a chuckle and the footsteps of someone else faintly.

"What are you two bickering about now?" Damon asked.

"Just reminding Klaus – and now you – that people don't exist for our amusement." Stefan said as a matter of factly.

Someone snorted and I heard Damon say, "Sure they do. They're ours for the taking."

Stefan – obviously – sighed and said. "Alright you've had your fun, brother. You used Vicki, got to meet my new girlfriend, good for you. Now it's time for us to go home." he paused before calling my name.

"CAROLINE, WE'RE LEAVING."

"And you said they don't exist for us to order them around." I heard another chuckle.

"That's not a problem." I heard Damon say. "I've been invited in. If I want to come back tomorrow night, and the next night and have fun with your little cheerleader, I will. That's normal to me."

Stefan growled as he continued. "Or, I could just have some fun with our Blondie, if you'd like."

I heard a thump and I slowly got up and walked around the corner.

"Woah." I said. "Did I interrupt something?"

Stefan was on edge, Damon was smirking and Klaus was no where to be found.

"No, Blondie, you didn't." Damon smirked and walked into the kitchen, and him and Vicki left moments later.

Klaus went upstairs to get Alyssa, I guess, because he came back down behind me a moment later and said good-bye before exiting like Damon did.

I told Elena good-bye next and Stefan and I headed home.

~The next day~

_Dear Diary,_

_I had a nightmare last night, about Damon. I totally forgot to put my necklace on after my shower. Big mistake. School was boring, as usual, and nothing really happened. Stefan also told methat he was going to give Katherine's old necklace to Elena to protect her from Damon in case he decides to try something. Tonight's the football game, and I'm about to head out to go. I've decided to take Damon and Klaus' advice...probably the stupidest sentence ever thought of. I'm quitting cheer leading. My mom always wanted me to do it, and it's never really been my thing. I know she would respect my decision to do this, so I'm not too guilty. Speaking of football, Stefan finally got onto the team! Guess this is it for now._

_Caroline_

_Dear Diary,_

_WOW! I used you twice today! Shocking, huh? Elena almost saw Stefan's advanced healing today. Stef and I have gotten closer, he seems to trust me, which is good. Trust is key in any relationship I guess. Romantic or not. Bonnie's witch mojo is going crazy still. She's had some numbers stuck in her head since yesterday. She told Elena and I the feeling was like...death. Which isn't all the surprising, but how could Bonnie know about...them? Could she know? Damon is such a douche._

_~Flashback~_

I walked to Elena's car to grab her gym bag for her. I unlocked the car, getting a prickly feeling on the back of my neck. Turning around, I saw Damon close to me, maybe six feet away.

"You scared me. What are you doing here?"

He smirked slyly. "I'm hiding from Vicki. She's sky high." he chuckled to himself.

"Why do you care?"

"I needed a break. She rambles more than I can listen."

I shrugged, getting annoyed by how he was slowly getting closer. "That could be a sign."

He shrugged. "She's a bit young."

"Not much younger than you." I pointed out and he shook his head, as if I was crazy.

"Don't see it going anywhere in the bigger picture. I think she'd drive me insane."

"More than you already are?" I raised an eyebrow, causing him to laugh again.

"She does have some super irresponsible traits, but I've know her and Matt since kindergarten. That means something to me." I shrugged to myself and watched him inch even closer.

"Duly noted." he smirked, noticing my unease. "I'm sorry if I make you uncomfortable. That's not my intention."

I laughed, shaking my head in disbelief. "It obviously is, or you wouldn't have me second-guessing everything you say to see if there's some crazy double meaning."

"You're right." he grinned devilishly. "I do have other intentions, but so do you, Blondie."

I rolled my eyes. "Really?" Sarcasm dripped off my voice like honey. I turned around, setting the bag on the ground and stepping back to shut the trunk.

"Mmhm." I heard him say. "I see 'em. You want  _me_."

I snorted as the trunk shut, and I bent down to pick up the gym bag. "Riiight."

When I stood up, Damon was inches away from me, staring me down like a predator. His eyes kept flickering to my lips and my stomach flipped, despite my unease.

"I get to you." he whispered. "You find yourself drawn to me. You think about me even when you don't want to." his annoying smirk widened. "I bet you even...dream...about me."

My eyes widened.  _Yup. He had been in my head. Definitely need to glue the darn necklace to myself._

"And now," he said, trying – and failing – to be seductive, "You want to kiss-" I saw his pupils changing and I reacted before he could finish. My hands met his chest and I pushed him forwards, hard. To my surprise, he stumbled back, looking annoyed.

"Stefan got to you." he mumbled, rubbing his chest. "Feisty, aren't ya?"

"What the hell?" I bit out, anger flaring. "I don't know what shizz you're trying to pull with me, but I want NO part of it. I don't know what happened in the past, with you, Klaus, and Stefan, but I'd appreciate it if you would remember one thing. I am NOT Katherine." I glared at him. "You need to be more like Stefan, as much as you've heard this. He has no wrong feelings for me. He has humanity."

"Humanity makes you weak, human." he snarled and I rolled my eyes. I locked the car and stormed away, leaving an annoyed Damon in the dust.

~End of Flashback.~

_Sometimes – no, wait – all the time – I want to rip his head off. Tyler, Matt and Stefan are getting along now, which is good, and someone killed Coach Tanner, not that I'm complaining. Insensitive, I know. I wouldn't be surprised if Damon killed him. He was already far off his rocker, and I probably just made him worse._

_Caroline_

**Third Person POV**

A dark haired figure stood over the blonde's bed. He stared down at her, oblivious to the wolf in the forest staring up at the window where he was standing. His long arm reached down and stroked her face, brushing a strand of hair out of her eyes. She rolled over in her sleep, groaning sleepily. A real smile drifted across his lips and he bent down, pressing a kiss on her forehead. He knew this girl had spunk. He liked that about her. They both did. He turned and left the room without a sound, shutting the door behind him.


	12. Family Ties : Part One

**? POV:**

Elena and Caroline woke up in the middle of the night. The sleepover they were having was obvious due to the popcorn and movies scattered about Elena's room, and the extra pillows on Elena's bed.

They heard a noise, but both were oblivious to the other. It was as if Elena couldn't see Caroline, and Caroline couldn't see Elena. The onlooker could see both of them easily.

"Hello? Jeremy?" Elena called, looking around the room.

"Hello? Is someone there?" Caroline called as well, getting up and heading down the stairs.

Elena followed the same path Caroline did, both in the dark. The power was out, and it was raining quite hard.

Both girls stumbled into the living-room to discover the television on. Confused looks passed over their faces.  _But the power is off?_

"This is Logan Fell coming to you live from the streets of Mystic Falls with breaking news of another deadly animal attack. The wild animal terrorizing the citizens of Mystic Falls has claimed two more victims."

Caroline shuddered, knowing that in reality, it was a vampire, not a wild animal. Elena looked confused still oblivious to the fact that vampires existed.

"They have claimed local high school students Elena Gilbert and Caroline Forbes." Their pictures appeared on the screen, and they gasped, stumbling back a few steps. Caroline's head was swimming, and Elena looked bewildered and terrified. The onlooker could hear both of their hearts beating at a million miles a minute. Logan Fell's voice could be heard in the background, explaining something about the forensic evidence.

Elena seemed to be able to see Caroline now. "Caroline?" she whimpered, and Caroline jumped.

"Damon!" she screamed. "Stay away from me!"

Elena's face twisted in confusion, but then fear passed over. "Damon! What are you doing here?"

They both seemed to acknowledge the presence of the other, but they seemed to think that the presence was Damon, not the other girl.

Another Damon appeared, and both girls ran towards the front door, only to find it locked. Caroline was whimpering quietly, while Elena was visibly shaken.

They whirled around to see the other Damon. He quickly snapped Elena's neck, while pulling Caroline to his chest, burying his face in her neck.

**Third Person POV**

Stefan shot up in bed, screaming softly. A soft knock on the door until Damon came sauntering in. "Bad dream, brother?" he smirked. It was too easy getting into his little brother's head. "Do you know how easy that was, to get into your head just now? You  _really_  need some human blood. It might even the playing field."

Stefan rolled his eyes. His brother just didn't know when to shut up, get a life, and move on.

The smirk on the elder's face widened. "Football reference. Too soon?" he laughed, only to be hit in the stomach with a knife a second later. His laughter stopped for a second, and a scowl appeared.

"All right," he gritted his teeth, pulling the knife out and stabbing it into the table next to him. "I deserved that. But, I just wanted to let you know, they caught the culprit." he grinned cheekily. "The animal responsible for killing poor coach Tanner and all those people."

Stefan narrowed his eyes.  _But Damon killed those people, not the animal..._

"What are you talking about?"

"It was a mountain lion.  _Really big one_. It attacked a hunter this morning." Damon took a swig of the blood in his cup. "It's all over the news." Smirking, he made a rainbow shape with one of the hands, putting on an announcer voice. "Deadly beast captured. All's well in Mystic Falls."

In reality, all wasn't well. There were three vampires, and one, perhaps two, were a bit psychotic.

"Why would you cover your tracks?" his eyes were still narrowed, obviously trying to figure out Damon's plan.

He shrugged, smirking. "I've decided to stay a while. And – i'm just having  _way_  too much fun here with you, Elena and Blondie." he shrugged again. "Plus, I've got nothing better to do."

"Can't touch either of them now." Stefan stated, getting up.

Damon took another swig of his blood before setting it down on the table. He pulled out the knife, toying with it as he walked slowly over to Stefan. "Well, the vervain keeps me out of Elena's head." he shrugged. "Maybe she's not my target. Believe it or not, Stef, some girls don't need my persuasion - especially blonde cheerleaders." he wiggled his eyebrows, still smirking. "Some girls just can't resist my good looks, my charm, and my unflinching ability to listen to -" he paused, quickly stabbing his younger brother in the stomach. "Taylor Swift.

Stefan groaned, falling to the floor. It obviously hurt the younger brother, and Damon knew that. He was weaker on bunny blood – he'd always be weaker on bunny blood.

Damon picked up something and looked at the tag. "This is John Varvatos, dude." he scoffed, tossing it down. "Dick move."

**Caroline's POV**

I exited my room, just getting off the phone with Tyler's mom. She had asked me to go to our storage locker in town and get my great-great-grandma Elizabeth's wedding ring and my great-great-grandfather's pocket watch. I was just about to head there, when I heard a slicing sound, and somebody groaning.

"Dick move." I head Damon say, and I went to the door. It opened before I could place my hand on the handle. Damon was standing there, smirking profusely. "Ease dropping, Blondie?"

I scoffed, rolling my eyes. "You know that I'm not." I tapped my ear. He was sure to have heard my heartbeat close by if I was, and obviously, I had just came from my room. Glancing over my shoulder, I saw Stefan, with a bloody spot on his shirt, and a knife on his hand.

"Damon!" I chided, swatting his shoulder. He simply smirked by me, and I pushed by, trying to get to Stefan. After a moment, he stepped to the side, allowing me in.

"What did he do that for?" I asked softly, giving Stefan a random washcloth I had gotten from his bathroom.

Stefan groaned. "I stabbed him first. He was in my head this morning." he groaned again, runnnig a hand through his bedhead. "I'm not strong enough, Caroline."

I frowned. "I would tell you to drink human blood, but something tells me that's a terrible idea."

He nodded painfully. "I'm going over to Elena's to check on her. Where are you off to?" he asked me, after noticing my keys and bag in hand.

"I'm going to get my grandma's ring and my grandpa's pocket watch from storage. It's really old, passed down from the generations, so Mrs. Lockwood wanted it for the heritage display."

"They still have a founders party?"

I nodded and he nodded once. "Okay. See you later, Care."

I waved at him and went to go get the things.

I drove into town, not too surprised to find it packed. I pulled my car into Matt's driveway, shooting a text at him telling him I was parking there. He sent back an 'alright'.

I got out and started to slowly walk closer to town, when voices drifted to my ears.

" _How come you don't sparkle?"_ a girl's voice asked, and I immediately recognized it as Vicki.

" _Because I live in the real world, where vampires burn in the sun."_ another voice retorted, and I recognized it as Damon.

" _Yeah, but you go in the sun."_ she said, clearly still confused.

I continued to walk, slowly. I didn't want Damon to get curious.

" _I have a ring. It protects me. Long story."_

Something clicked. It made sense now! I remember Stefan and Damon both wearing rings 24/7. In fact, I had never seen either of them without them.

I continued to walk, happy with the new knowledge I had acquired. Now I finally had something I could use against Damon, if need be.

I quickly went to the storage, and when I made my way to Mystic Grill, I saw Bonnie.

She smiled and waved. I went over to her.

"Hey." I greeted, and she smiled again.

"Hey Care, what are you up to?"

I opened the bag, showing her the ring and watch. "Just getting some stuff for the heritage display."

"Oh yeah, about that?.Who are you going with?" she asked curiously.

I shrugged. "Probably no one."

"Same here."

Vicki walked up to us, which was quite odd for her. Usually she didn't mingle with us at all.

_Damon must have sent her over._

"Hey Vicki?" Bonnie greeted, and she smiled, saying hello back.

"Are you taking Damon to the founders party?" I asked her, smiling.

She nodded.

"What about Matt? Won't he throw a fit if you bring Damon?" Bonnie asked, and Vicki rolled her eyes, shrugging.

"And I'm supposed to care, why?"

Bonnie raised her eyebrows. "He's older sexy  _danger_  guy."

I laughed. "Older sexy danger guy?" Elena walked over to us. "Did I hear right?"

Bonnie blushed, nodding.

"What is that? Some kind of official witch twitter tweet?" Elena teased, laughing.

"No more witch jokes, okay?" Bonnie grumbled, leaving Vicki standing there, a bit confused.

"Witch jokes?" she deadpanned.

Elena laughed, shrugging. "Bon's grandma thinks she's a witch or something."

"That whole Mr. Tanner prediction has me freaked." she murmured, and I planted a hand on her shoulder.

"Okay then." Vicki said uncertainly. "Anyways, Damon's  _not_  dangerous. He just has a lot of...issues...with his brother. You know, like major, deep-rooted drama." she shrugged.

"Like?" Elena asked eagerly. She had always loved to gossip.

"I'm...not supposed to say anything." Vicki scratched the back of her neck, and Bonnie chuckled.

"Alright, if you say so."

We said good-bye after that and I headed home, to find Damon holding Zach up by the throat.

"Damon!" I shrieked, running forward. He immediately dropped him.

"What's going on?" I asked, looking at the two uncertainly.

Damon shrugged. "Having a family moment, Caroline. Spending some-" he hit Zach's shoulder. "quality time."

"Hey, are you okay?" I asked, walking over to Zach since Damon had left the room.

"No, I'm not." he scowled, rubbing his neck. "Neither is Stefan. I don't know how many more people have to die before he sees that."

I frowned. "I think he sees it, Zach."

His scowl was still plastered on his face. "They why isn't he doing anything about it?"

I shrugged. "It would take human blood, I think. He couldn't take it. He'd loose control from what I've heard."

Zach's scowl disappeared, and he smiled hopefully. "Vervain could help him if he ingested it." he was speaking softly and he got up off the couch we had been sitting on. I got up as well, and we made our way to what I assumed was the basement. "It could help him get the upper hand."

I nodded thoughtfully as we walked down the stairs. "Stefan gave Elena and I the last of the vervain he had..."

Zach didn't say a word, simply smirked as he pushed open a door, revealing an entire room – farm even – of the plant. "You've been growing it." I grinned at him, and stepped forward. "May I?"

He nodded and I pulled off a stalk, breaking it in half and then stuffing it into my pocket.

"It's just something that's been passed down through the generations." he shrugged. "Blood only runs so deep when you're related to vampires." he lowered his voice, his face looking scared. "Damon would kill me if he knew that I had this much."

"Why are you telling me?" I asked curiously.

"You can take some to Stefan. I trust him." he explained, clipping off an inch long piece and handing it to me. "Use this, plus the one you have in your pocket."

I nodded, and then the doorbell rang.


	13. Family Ties : Part Two

Turning to Zach, I said, "I'll go get it. It's probably Tyler or Mrs. Lockwood here to pick up the stuff for the heritage display."

He nodded and I jogged up the stairs. Opening the door, I saw Tyler. "Hey Tyler." I said, feigning kindness.

"Forbes." he nodded once at me, smirking. "I'm here for my mom. I'm supposed to pick up a box of stuff?"

"Oh, yeah. Uh – here, I think I left it in my car, let me go get my keys." I explained, quickly running upstairs and grabbing them out of my purse. When I came back downstairs, he was no where to be seen. "Tyler?" I asked in confusion. I saw a shadow outside the front door. I rolled my eyes, stepping outside.

"BOO." a voice said, poking my back.

"Ah, Tyler, you scared me." I said sarcastically, rolling my eyes.

He rolled his eyes in response and followed me to my car. I unlocked my car and climbed into my back seat, fumbling for the box that was wedged in between the back of the passenger seat, and the backseats.

I heaved it out of my car, only to have the force of it make me spill it all over the backseat floor.

I groaned, shaking my head.

"You've got to be kidding me."

Tyler's laugh sounded from behind me. "C'mon Forbes, I've got places to go, people to see."

"Yeah, yeah, give me a minute." I snapped, quickly throwing stuff into the box. Once I was done, I slammed the door and gave it to Tyler. "Here."

He took it, nodding. "Thank you."

My expression must have softened. He was actually trying to be decent, wow!

"You're welcome. Tell your mom I'll see her tonight." I nodded back at him and went back inside.

Little did I know an important pocket watch was laying under the passenger seat, all alone.

~Later~

I quietly walked out of Stefan's room, just planting the vervain under the bed. I had wrapped it in plastic, and wrote a note explaining vaguely where I had gotten it and what I thought we could do with it. I sent him a text, telling him about it as I walked to my room. As soon as I opened the door, I got a text from Elena, asking me if I wanted to come over and get ready with the other girls. I decided to go, so I texted her back a yes.

Scooping up my pink floral dress and some makeup, I headed over to Elena's. [A/N: Caroline will be wearing Elena's dress in this part. If you Google Family Ties vampire diaries dresses, you can see the dress to jog your memory]

When I arrived, a lady whom I vaguely remembered as Elena's Aunt Jenna answered the door.

"Jenna?" I asked uncertainly.

She gasped pulling me into a hug. "Caroline Forbes! I haven't seen you in forever!" she pulled away, holding me at arms length. "How are you?"

This was a normal question for one to ask another, but I knew she was talking about since my mom died.

I smiled. "I'm doing pretty good, thanks. And you?"

She grinned back. "I'm great! The girls are up in Elena's room."

I nodded, thanking her. I quickly made my way up the stairs and into the room, knocking once for a warning.

"Delicate flower vs. Naught vixen." I heard Bonnie said, and after a moment I saw her holding up two dresses. One was a deep blue with a sweetheart neckline, and the other was a soft pink dress. The soft pink one I first thought would be strapless, but it was then I noticed two spaghetti straps.

"Delicate flower." I said, smirking when Elena jumped.

Elena looked at me and grinned, while Bonnie waved. "Tough call, can we mix them?" Elena asked.

I grinned, plopping down on the bed next to Elena, totally oblivious to Alyssa sitting on the window seat, pouting. "Look at you, Elena, getting all pretty for your date." I nudged her in the ribs, and she beamed. "I know, I'm gorgeous." she laughed, and it was hard to tell if she was joking around or not.

"You seem happy-ish?" Bonnie asked, smiling hopefully.

Elena nodded, a bit unsure. "I am...ish. Tonight's going to be a good night."

I heard another sniffle, and then finally noticed Alyssa, sitting there in a baby blue dress that complimented her strawberry blonde hair beautifully. [Alyssa looks like Lydia from Teen Wolf] "For you, it will be." she started to wail. "Klausy-poo hasn't texted me all day! I don't know what's wrong!"

I looked at Bonnie, who shrugged, mouthing  _drama queen_.

Elena shrugged as well, continuing what she was going to say. "But don't let the good night stop you from telling me whatever you wanted to tell Care and I."

Bonnie chewed on her lip. "What if I tell you in the...morning? I don't want to ruin the night..."

I looked at Elena, who pouted, looking like Alyssa.

"Bonnie." I said, crossing my shoulders. "Out with it."

She hesitated and even Elena nudged her. Bonnie's eyes darted over to Alyssa, who continued to wail as she ran out of the room.

Elena shut the door. "Now spill, girl."

"So, Vicki and I were talking yesterday." she started. "And she spilled about Damon." she looked to both of us seriously. "You can't repeat a word of this, because Vicki will kill me if Damon finds out she squealed."

"Why would Vicki spill to you?" I asked, curiously. Usually Vicki kept to herself.

Bonnie shrugged again. "Dunno. She looked a bit high or tired or..something. I figured she had no idea who she was talking to, just wanted to get it off her chest."

We started to get ready, changing quickly and doing our hair as Bonnie talked.

Apparently, Damon's ex-girlfriend Katherine, was dated by both of them, and that's why they have issues. Supposedly, Katherine chose Damon, which drove Stefan mad, causing him to try to break them up. Stefan manipulated Katherine, and her sister didn't like that at all. She got her boyfriend to help, but it actually made things worse. They all made up so much crap, that Katherine didn't know what was true and what wasn't.

"So she turned against Damon." I finished, and Bonnie nodded.

"That sounds like one person's side of the story." Elena said, rolling her eyes. "Meaning Damon's." she grumbled running her hand through her hair. "You really don't like him, do you Bonnie? Can't you just let me be happy, just once?"

We gaped at Elena's sudden outburst, and I added quietly. "Bonnie just wanted you to know, Elena."

She rolled her eyes. "Whatever, his past relationships are none of my business." her tone was rude, and I could tell Bonnie was getting a bit angry as well.

"If he's a calculating, manipulative liar. That is your business."

Elena scoffed, still fuming. " _Stefan_  is  _none_  of those things."

"Yeah?" I asked.

"How do you know?" Bonnie put in.

Elena whirled on me. "C'mon Care, help me here! You live with him for pete's sake! You must know whether or not he's like that!"

I blinked uncertainly. "Uh..."

**Stefan's POV**

I sat in the living room, drinking, trying to get my mind off my irritating older brother. The devil walked into the room in a tux, messing with a tie. "Do they still wear ties at this thing?"

I sighed, rubbing my temple. He just had to go.  _Had to._  "Why are you even going?"

I filled up my glass again, taking another swig.

"It's only fitting." Damon shrugged, grinning mischievously. "We were at the very first one, remember?"

"I think it's better if we don't draw attention to ourselves." I protested, swirling my drink around.

"So, you should stay here." he smirked at the scowl that appeared on my face. "I'll see to it that Blondie and your little cheerleader have a good time."

My scowl deepened, and I clenched my fist as I downed another gulp of vodka.

"My, my, brother. I've driven you to drink."

I exhaled as the liquid burned fire down my throat. "Can't seem to rid myself of you. What else am I supposed to do, besides go about living my life?"

Damon chuckled, stealing my glass and quickly draining it. He handed it back to me, chuckling. "Go about living my life." he mimicked. "See, therein lies your eternal struggle." he laughed drilyly. "You're dead dude. Get over it. What do you think?" And with that, he tied his tie in one smooth movement before walking out of the room.

Caroline walked into the room, minutes later, looking irritated. She had her dress on, but her hair was still in it's usual curls around her shoulders, and her face was bare. "It is?" she frowned, heading up the stairs. "Are you sure? 'Cause I saw it. Let me check. Mmm-hmm. I'll find it and bring it. Okay. Bye."

Her footsteps faded when she went into her room. She shrieked, and I heard a thud as she slapped someone. Damon came rushing down the stairs smirking.

I sighed, rubbing my temple. He was always getting into trouble, acting like a kid and plotting revenge. You'd think I was the elder sometimes. "It's cool not growing old." I heard Caroline's door open, and she ran down the stairs, throwing Damon's shoes at his head. He caught them both, smirking deviously at her. "I like being the eternal stud." he winked and blew a kiss at Caroline who flipped him off, stomping back up the stairs. I shook my head while Damon cracked up.

"Yes," I said sarcastically. "Being 150-year-old teenager has been the height of my happiness." I rolled my eyes and Damon put on a fake shocked look.

"You cracked a funny, Stefan!" He smirked, looking at me like he knew something. My eyes subconsciously darted to the drink that I'd spiked with the vervain Caroline had put in my room with a note earlier.

"I should have a drink to celebrate. 1864. You and Katherine were the  _perfect_  couple. It was hell watching you dance with her." he scowled, but it was replaced by his usual smirk.

I shrugged, pushing away the flashbacks that came with speaking of  _her._ "My happiness was short-lived, as you well know."

He nodded, reminiscing as he walked over to the alcohol cupboard. "Ah, yes, I remember. I left the part early, and I was waiting for her." he smirked. "The night you dropped her off, I was waiting just inside. You were such a gentleman, gave her a kiss on the cheek. And what she really wanted was..." he trailed off, smirking even wider. He lifted his drink in the air as a toast. "Oh well, here's to history repeating itself, huh?"

I must have grinned because he suddenly smelled the drink and the vervain inside. Scowling, he dumped the drink on the floor.

 _Dammit._  I cursed in my mind. Going to have to try another way.

"I admire your effort, Stefan. Pouring yourself a drink then spiking the bottle with vervain. I'm not some drunk sorority chick." he rolled his eyes. "You  _can't_ roofie me. But, I can't help but feel a little used. I thought we were having a moment." he pouted, a malicious glint in his eyes. "I have to go to the party angry...hmmm...who knows what I'll do?" his eyebrows jutted up once before he disappeared, leaving me feeling more tense then before the drinks.


	14. Family Ties : Part 2.5

Caroline's POV

I heard Damon and Stefan talking loudly downstairs, and a door slam. I glanced out my window, and sure enough, Damon had stormed off. I got ready for the party, adding the last finishing touches. The watch was at the back of my mind, and little did I know, this would save my friends in the long run.

~later~

Stefan, Damon, Elena and I were all standing in the historics room, observing things that the families had brought to show.

We were currently reading the first registry, and Elena just happened to notice Damon and Stefan's names.

Huh. I realized. They must have been there at the first signing. Interesting. How are they going to cover that one up?

"The original Salvatore brothers." Damon said, smirking at Stefan. "Our ancestors. Tragic story, actually."

Stefan visibly tensed. "We don't need to bore them with stories of the past."

Elena frowned at Stefan for a moment before batting her fake eyelashes at Damon. "It's not that boring I'm sure, Stefan."

Damon smirked and another person walked into the room.

"Yes, I agree that it would be interesting to hear." a British voice chimed in, and I turned my head to see Klaus, looking smashing – wait, what am I saying, this guy has bad news written all over him – in his tux.

Stefan groaned, rubbing the back of his neck. "I'd rather we not talk about the past, Damon. It gives me a headache." he smiled, an idea coming to him. "I have an idea instead. Elena, why don't you dance with me? I'm pretty good."

She grinned in excitement, and Stefan glared daggers at Klaus and Damon, while shooting me an apologetic look.

Klaus walked over to look at some things at the other side of the room, and Damon took this as an invitation to talk to me. "I want to apologize to you for being such a world-class jerk the other night when I tried to kiss you. There's no excuse. My therapist says I'm acting out, trying to punish Stefan and make him mad."

A growl sounded, and a side of Damon's face twisted up in a smirk as Klaus tensed on the other side of the room, obviously ease dropping now.

"For Katherine?" I deadpanned, and he studied me for a moment, almost as if he was comparing me to her. I found it odd that I defined his gaze as comparing. I couldn't look like her, now could I? I was unique, right? I'd have to ask Stefan about that.

"It's all in the past." he paused. "Right Klaus?" he glanced at Klaus, who was still stiff.

Klaus didn't respond, feigning ignorance.

Damon then went on to explain to me about the Battle of Willow Creek, and the church. Klaus stormed out of the room for some reason, leaving us alone, which, I had to admit, made me a bit uncomfortable. "The history books left out that there were people in the church that burnt down. The vampires." he met eyes with me again, judging my reaction.

My face was blank, and he continued. "The founders rounded them up and burned them alive. We had someone in that church, someone we cared about. We went to rescue them, and they were shot and murdered in cold blood."

"That's how you guys...died?" I lowered my voice. "Why are you sharing this with me?"

He shrugged. "Dunno. Felt like it."

"I'm sorry you and Stefan have whatever between you, but Elena and I can't get in the middle of it. I hope you two can work it out."

Damon nodded, smirking at me. "I would say I hope so too, but..."

I rolled my eyes at him, and headed outside where everyone was dancing.

Of course, Damon followed me out, and I saw Alyssa dancing with an annoyed Klaus, and Stefan and Elena still dancing.

"Care to dance?" Damon suddenly asked, extending a hand.

I stared at his hand for a moment, then out at the floor, where everyone was dancing. "Sure."

We danced slowly, his hand on my waist, and our hands interlocked in the air. We didn't speak, or meet eyes. I simply stared over his shoulder, and felt his eyes study my face intensely.

"Seriously, Damon? Staring? Take a picture, it'll last longer." I mumbled under my breath, and he chuckled. "You -'' He sighed. "Never mind."

"What?" I met his bright blue eyes and frowned. "You can't do that. Start to say something and then brush it off like it was meaningless."

We stared intensely at each over for a moment and he sighed. "You look like her."

I opened my mouth to question him, my brows furrowed, when it was time to change partners. I whirled around, and met Stefan.

"Hey." I smiled at him and he smiled back, obviously trying to enjoy himself.

"I hope Damon didn't drive you too crazy." he murmured. "Sorry about that."

"He was on his best behavior. He even apologized for trying to kiss me the other night."

Stefan's eyes widened. "He what?"

Oops must not have told him about that...

"I slapped him. It was no big deal." I tried to brush it off, but knew Stefan wouldn't let it go that easy.

"He's unstable, Caroline. Be careful around him."

I nodded obediently and Damon's question echoed in my mind.

"Stefan, what did Damon mean by -" I started to say, and we switched partners again.

I was now in Klaus' arms, and I shivered uncontrollably. "Hello." I greeted, nodding my head.

"Caroline." he said, and I shivered again, loving the way my name sounded on his lips.

NO. Bad Caroline! You can't feel this way! He has a girlfriend, and plus, he's a vampire, and he's dangerous! I bet he's killed people! Innocent people!

"Cold?" he asked me, a grin on his face, and I nodded.

He glanced over my shoulder as we danced, and he raised his eyebrows. "Looks like Stefan and Elena are having a lovers quarrel."

When we were turned around in the dance, I peered over the shoulder, and saw Elena looking annoyed and Stefan looking worried.

Uh oh, what did Damon do now?


	15. Family Ties : Part Three

Elena and Stefan talked for a few moments, before she flipped her hair and hit him in the face with the tip of it, before strutting away. I sighed, looking at Klaus for a moment. "I have to go."

I pulled away before he could protest, following Elena to the powder room. Elena and I may not be close, but Stefan and I are, he's already like my brother, and he deserves better than Elena.

"Hey." I said to them, then paused when I noticed that we weren't alone.

Alyssa and Vicki were both powdering their noses with small compacts, and chatting a bit awkwardly.

I blinked, not expecting this. The stoner girl and the popular girl getting along?

"So, how are things going with Stefan?" I asked, looking to Elena.

"Great." she dried off her hands and violently threw her towel into the bin. "Just great."

"Really?" Alyssa piped up. "Well, my radar must be off, 'cause I was getting all sorts of vibes from you out there." she glanced at me. "And I don't appreciate you dancing with  _my_  date."

I scoffed, rolling my eyes. "It was part of the dance. We had to change partners."

I glanced at Alyssa again, noticing a scarf tied around her neck. The same had to do with Vicki.

"What is that?" I asked, trying to lift her scarf up.

"Hmm?" Alyssa jumped when my fingers met her skin. "Don't!"

There were a few bruises lining her neck, and I glanced down at the mirror, only to see a bite mark on her shoulder that was hidden from the strap of the dress before.

_What had Klaus been doing to her?_

I moved to Vicki next, helping Elena remove the scarf. There was a few bites there as well. "Oh, god, girls, what happened?" Elena asked, her eyes cloudy.

"Nothing." they both said at once. "We're fine." robotic smiles flashed on their faces and I sighed.

"That is not nothing!" she continued to rant. "Did somebody hurt you?" when they didn't say anything, she rolled her eyes. "Guys these days, so kinky. I'm going to have to go get the jocks to beat them up again."

"Did Damon hurt you?" I asked softly eying Vicki. "And did Klaus do those to you?" my eyes softened as Alyssa shook her head, but you could see fear in the both of their eyes.

"No! Of course not. Just leave us alone, okay?" they both glanced at each other before hurriedly fixing their clothes and running outside.

I followed them outside, fuming.

"Caroline!" a voice called, and I turned to see Mrs. Lockwood. "There you are!" she smiled at me. ""I notice the watch still wasn't in the collection?"

I sighed, "Oh my goodness, I'm so sorry. I've lost it somewhere. It's probably still in my mom's old things."

She nodded. "I see. Please let me know if you do find it."

I told her I would, when I caught sight of Damon walking through the crowd. "I'm sorry, there's someone I need to go talk to." I nodded at her once before storming over to him.

"There is something seriously wrong with you." I snarled, pushing Damon. "You stay away from Vicki, that's not right for you to do to her!"

"Why?" he asked, looking at me like I was stupid. "It's natural for me." he lowered his voice, pulling me over to a darker, private place. His features appeared, and I stepped back in fear. "I'm a vampire, Caroline, it's natural for me. You all are my toys and I can do whatever I want to whomever I want."

I rolled my eyes, kneeing him in the balls. "You're retarded. Stay away from everyone." I pushed past him, shaking my head as he was lying on the ground in pain.

_I'm probably going to pay for that..._

When I walked out of the side room, I saw Stefan and Elena talking – or well – arguing.

"Trust is earned."

I walked over to them, only to grab a swig of champagne from Elena's glass. "Sorry hun, I need it just as much as you do."

She glanced at me before shrugging. "I can't just magically hand it over, Stefan."

She stormed off and I walked after her, until I lost her in the crowd. My head was buzzing from the alcohol and the noise. I walked out farther, until I felt someone wrap their arm around my waist, and press an ear to my lips.

"Don't say a word."

I whimpered and allowed the person to drag me.

I turned around in the middle of the lawn, glaring at me.

"Don't!" I sighed, raking a hand through my hair. "I got angry, okay? Alyssa and Vicki are humans, and they told us they didn't mean it."

I heard footsteps and saw Vicki walking towards us, looking dazed.

"I'm gonna go." she slurred, and Damon quickly captured her head in her hands, whispering something in her ear. She shook her head and stumbled off.

"What did you just do?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.

"It's okay." Damon whispered, and a second later he was behind me, holding me in an iron grip. "As much as I don't want to do this..." he trailed off, one of his hands stroking the side of my face.

"Damon." I said, partially in terror. "Don't. Please."

"Nope." he popped the p. "You've been sticking that cute little nose of yours into everybody's business."

I started to say something, but suddenly he pushed my head to the side, and violently bit into the side of my neck. I bit back a scream, smirking when he pulled away a moment later.

_I had drank vervain before coming, and Elena's drink was also spiked._

Before he stumbled to the ground, I grabbed his hand, sliding the ring off before allowing him to fall.

Stefan came up behind me. "Good job."

"What the...hell?" Damon mumbled, still on the dewy grass. "W-what just happened?"

"You know, I couldn't spike your drink, so I spiked all of your possible target's drinks." he smirked and so did I, pressing a hand to my neck. It didn't hurt that bad, I had taken an Advil before I came, just in case.

I wandered back into the powder room after helping Stefan further sedate Damon and helping him move his psycho brother into the back of his car.

"Caroline?" I heard a voice call outside the door. The door swung open to reveal Elena. "What happened? Are you okay?"

She glanced down at my neck, and narrowed her eyes.

"I'm fine." I blinked a few times, clearing the angry tears from my eyes.

"Caroline." she said, sounding genuinely concerned this time. "Aw, come here."

I gave her a hug before pulling away, telling her I needed to get home.

~Later at home~

I stood with Stefan and Zach outside the cellar. "I did what I had to to do..." Stefan murmured, slightly to Damon, but mostly to us. "To protect everyone. Yes, Damon, the headline reads, 'Deadly beast captured. All is well in Mystic Falls."

**Third Person POV**

"Thanks for staying so late." Mrs. Lockwood said, looking at part of the council.

"Did you get the Forbes watch?" Mr. Bennett asked, obviously not in the mood for pleasantries.

Mrs. Lockwood sighed, shaking her head. "She claimed it was probably still packed away in her mom's things."

"I can get it." a voice said, and they turned to see Logan Fell. "Zach was friends with my older brother, I know that I can look at their house if I go as an excuse to catch up."

Sheriff Bennett nodded. "Good. We're going to need it."

Mrs. Lockwood bit her lip. She still didn't fully grasp the concept of vampires being  _here_  of all places!

"Are you sure?"

They all nodded. "Five bodies drained of blood? I'm certain." the Sheriff mused aloud, and Logan murmured darkly, "They've come back."


	16. You're Undead To Me : Part One

**Caroline's POV**

~Three days later~

Damon was laying in the cellar, and Stefan had just informed me that he had woken up. Damon's ring was in my possession, and I was told to hide it at the address given to me. I did, and boy, I knew it'd be impossible [hopefully!] to find.

I sat on the stairs close enough to the cell that I could hear the conversation, but not so close Damon would try anything stupid. Part of me wanted to feel bad for him, but I knew that this is what he deserved.

"Where's my ring?" I heard Damon grumble and Stefan chuckled drly.

"You won't be needing it anymore."

I pictured Damon making some smart-ass expression at his brother, but he asked another question. "How long have I been here?"

"Three days." Stefan replied dully, obviously hating that his brother made him do this to him.

"What are you doing?" he grumbled again, and I heard him groan in pain.

"During the dark ages when a vampire's actions threatened to expose or bring harm upon the entire race, they would face judgment." he glanced at me. I was listening intently. I had to admit, I was curious on what would happen if Damon didn't feed.

"You know what will happen...if I don't," I heard a wheeze. "Feed on blood."

Stefan shrugged and leaned against the wall. "You'll grow weaker and weaker. Eventually you won't be able to move or speak. In a week you'll desiccate and mummify. A living corpse." he shuddered, pausing with a satisfied smirk on his face. "Unable to hurt anyone. Ever."

I heard Damon shift again. "So what, you're just going to leave me in the basement, forever?"

The younger brother sighed, glancing at me again.

"Hello Blondie." I heard Damon grumble. "Yes, I can hear your heart." I pictured him smirking like usual. "You sound divine. Care to lend me a taste?"

I jumped up, scooting backwards. "N-no." was all I managed to stutter out, and Stefan looked at his brother warily before turning to me. "You'll be okay Caroline. He can't get out."

I heard a loud thud, and my heart jumped in my chest again. Damon's face was smushed in between the bars and he was staring at me like I was some kind of four-course meal.

Stefan sighed and picked up a spray bottle, spraying him the face with vervain. Damon fell back, cursing. "I've injected you with enough vervain to keep you weak. Once your circulation stops, I'll move you to the family crypt, and then in 50 years, we can reevaluate." Stefan shrugged, spraying him again when he stumbled back over to the bars to stare at me again, fangs out and eyes red.

"I'm stronger than you think." Damon chuckled, on the floor again. "I could break down this door and kill Caroline if I wanted."

"You're strong, always have been. But you aren't stronger than the vervain and we all know it."

I stood up, walking over to Stefan, but keeping my back against the wall across from the door. "If you wanted to kill me like you claim, you'd have already. I can't imagine the thirst you're feeling." I smirked spitefully, taking a deep breath in and out.

I headed up the stairs, with Stefan following me. Before he started up them, he called. "I'm sorry. Wish it didn't have to be this way, but it does."

We made our way into the Salvatore kitchen, a place I had never seen either of the brothers in, ever. Zach was cooking me breakfast.

"How is the devil?" he flipped a pancake, looking to us curiously.

"He's awake. Weak, but it's probably best to stay out of the basement." turning to me, he said. "I still can't believe you talked me into letting you down there. "He's Damon, so we don't know how dangerous he still might be."

I sat down at the table, thanking my god-father when he placed a plate of pancakes on the table in front of me. Stefan sat across from me, and Zach sat next to me. Zach and I both ate the pancakes, the silence comforting.

"You're going to school?" he asked suddenly, after swallowing a bite of pancake.

Stefan nodded. "Came here to live a life. It's about time I get back to that." he smiled sadly. "And Elena, if she's still speaking to me."

"You should've called her, Stef." I said. "She kept asking me where you've been and why you haven't contacted her."

Stef sighed. "I hate feeding her lies, so I figured it'd be best to just not talk to her." he rubbed his temples. "Which, now that I think about it, is stupid too." he sighed again. "I hate lying to her. I'm not good at it. She thinks I'm hiding something."

I scoffed. "No, she knows you're hiding something."

Zach agreed. "What choice do you have? You came here because you wanted to live as normal as a life as you could. You knew this was going to be a part of it."

I put my plate in the sink, leaving the boys to talk. I went up to my room, really not wanting to go anywhere but back to my bed today. My phone rang, and I saw that it was Bonnie.

"Hey!" I smiled, dabbing on my mascara. "What's up?"

"Hey Caroline. You'll never believe what just happened."

I paused, frowning slightly. "What just happened?"

She started talking and I nodded uncertainly. "Uh-huh. Could you say that again, but this time slower?" I chuckled and she took a deep breath.

"Matt called me over this morning to talk to me about Elena, right? Okay so, right when I'm about to leave, Vicki calls me into her room and starts talking to me about Damon! She said that she wanted to just get this off her chest. Once I asked her about him, then she said she  _didn't_  want to talk about Damon."

I furrowed my brows, only to straighten my expression as I quickly filled them in. "That was totally out of character for her. Wonder what she needed to get off her chest?"

"Don't know." Bonnie replied. "I saw this strange necklace laying on her dresser. It was kind of ugly. She said that Damon gave it to her, and when I went to go pick it up, I felt this strange feeling. It was really bizarre."

"More witch mojo?" I applied a bit of blush to my cheeks. "Are you going to that sexy suds car wash tomorrow? Alyssa's been blowing up my phone about it. Says that even though I quit the team, I still need to help." I shook my head, forgetting that she couldn't see me. "Did Elena tell you about those bites she found on both Vicki and Alyssa?"

"Yeah!" Bonnie sighed. "This town is so wacko! Sometimes I just want to move far away from here."

~later, at school~

I watched Elena and Stefan talk as I walked across campus to my next class. Elena looked skeptical, and I'd seen her flirting with one of the jocks during first block. She annoyed the heck out of me. They parted ways and the rest of the day passed without much happening.

I gave Stefan a ride home from school, and when we went into the house, he froze. "Something wrong." turning on his heel, he walked into the living room, leaving me standing in the doorway. "Zach?"

He turned back towards me and he raced down the stairs. I followed him quickly, only to see Damon holding Zach by the throat. "DAMON!" I shrieked, and that was enough distraction to help Stefan get Zach free quicker.

"Keep it up, Damon. The more energy you expend, the faster you'll go." he smirked and we walked back up the stairs.

Once we helped Zach into the living-room and onto the couch, Stefan glanced at his phone, cursing. "I'm late!" he sighed, sitting down. "I was supposed to meet Elena at the Grill right after school."

Stefan came back a few hours later, looking even more down than this morning. He told me about how he had to lie again about Damon, and how an older man commented on how he knew him and how he hadn't aged a day. Elena had left immediately, and Stefan said she seemed more guarded than usual.

"Go over and make her dinner, Stefan!" I exclaimed suddenly. "I'll call Jenna and have her explain the situation to Jeremy. She's supposed to be going out on a date of her own, so even more the reason for you to make dinner!"

I quickly ran into the hall and called Jenna, explaining what was going on. She agreed and said that that sounded wonderful. I informed Stefan of the news and he gave me a hug, thanking me.

"Don't just stand here!" I chuckled. "Go and get ready, lover boy!"

He laughed and ran off to his room. A few minutes later, he reappeared, sticking his head in my doorway. "Thanks Caroline! I'm going to tell her about Katherine, well as much as I can, at least. I'm going to tell her about me. Maybe that'll fix things." he grinned widely before running off again.

I continued to search the internet for just random things, when I heard my name being called, just faintly.

" _Caroline..."_

Little did I know, another girl, somewhere else, was experiencing the same thing.

A crow appeared at my window and cawed loudly. I jumped. "Shoo! Shoo! God!" I shook my head, closing my open window.

Later, when Stefan got home, he told me about how he went to check on Damon before he left, and how Damon was being his usual self, expect only a bit more weakened this time, which was good.

~The next day after school~

Alyssa, Bonnie, Elena, Stefan, and I all stood in the parking lot at school, in our swim-suits.

Bonnie and I walked over to help Matt, whom was washing a car across the lot, staring at Stefan and Elena sadly.

"Uh-uh, no." Bonnie and I said at the same time. "None of that tortured pining stuff!"

He shook his head quickly. "I'm just...observing."

"Right, Matt. Observing your ex-girlfriend kiss her new boyfriend. That just doesn't happen normally. I know you miss her, but it's okay. You'll find someone better." I smiled at him and Bonnie called over to Alyssa.

"Oh, Alyssa, this one's yours!"

She groaned, standing up and walking over to the old Impala. "I don't want to wash this."

The driver rolled down their tinted windows and looked at me. "I'd rather she washed my car." he smirked, and I stared back into the face of Klaus.

"But, you're dating Alyssa, right? Wouldn't you want her to wash it?" I narrowed my eyes, scrubbing circles into the car I was helping Matt wash.

Alyssa laughed. "Oh my goodness. Me? Date this guy? Ha. No." she shook her head, and Klaus furrowed his brows, before flashing a wolfish grin at me.

"I don't know this girl. And, I said I'd prefer you to wash it, love."

_What? They dated. I'm sure of it. They even came over to Elena's together. Did he leave her and compel her that fast, or is she just pretending to not know him?_

I sighed. "Fine."


	17. You're Undead to Me : Part Two

What was he playing at?

I started to wash his car, ignoring his eyes on me as he sat inside and waited for me to get done. Normally, most people would get out – the polite ones – but he seemed to be content with sitting inside a stuffy car. I was seriously regretting wearing this bikini right now.

Once I rinsed it off, I told Stefan and Elena, who had just finished their car and began to help me with mine, "Hey, I'm going to go get some towels."

They nodded and waved me on and I went over to Alyssa, who was now manning the cashier booth. "Hey. We're out of towels and those shimmy things."

She nodded and got up, telling me to watch the booth while she was gone.

**Alyssa's POV**

I couldn't believe Caroline thought that I would date that British guy! I mean for real, I don't date man whores like him! I'd rather date Tyler Lockwood, and he's a complete douche. I made my way into the semi-dark school, shaking my head as I opened the janitor's closet.

 _Alyssa._  A voice drifted by me on the breeze, and I shivered, glancing around warily.  _Alyssa. Help me. Help me._  The strangely familiar voice drifted by me again, and I felt compelled to help this disembodied voice. Dropping the towels that I had picked up, I subconsciously made my way towards the voice.

When I realized what I was doing, I was standing outside of a huge house. I stepped in, my feet carrying me into the cellar.

 _Alyssa._  The voice said again, and it sounded sweet. Sickeningly sweet, even.

"Damon Salvatore?" I asked uncertainly, peering into the locked room. "Oh my god! Why are you in here? You look terrible – wait – how did I even know that you were in here?"

He chuckled darkly. "Because, I wanted you to. Very, very, badly. Let me out of here. Please."

The elder Salvatore stumbled into view, and stared at me through the bars. "You don't remember me compelling you before. You won't remember what you're about to do, either."

"What am I about to do?" I asked, dazed.

"You're gonna open the door." he said, and it sounded like a great idea to me. He repeated the idea, and I heard another voice shout, "No! Get out of here! NO!" my hands shook as I unlocked the door. It swung open quickly, knocking me to the ground. He exited the room and I felt my neck break. The world went black.

**Caroline's POV**

I watched as Bonnie stared angrily at the ground, and it suddenly lit ablaze. Stefan rushed over to her, shaking her gently. She blinked, and then looked terrified. He came over to me next.  
"Hey Caroline." he smiled at me and sat down in the shade. "Where's Alyssa?"

I scoffed, running a hand through my hair. "She bailed."

He nodded and chewed on his lip. "I overhead Elena talking to Logan Fell, and she was asking about the news tapes. I think she's getting suspicious of me." he stared into the distance.

I opened my mouth to speak, but was interrupted as I saw my godfather running over to us. "Stefan! Stefan!" he said urgently, dragging us over to the side.

"Damon-" he panted, and we both stiffened. "He got free. Killed – Killed this strawberry blonde girl."

My mouth dropped open. "Alyssa?"

He nodded tersely, causing Stefan to curse and run a hand through his brown hair.

"He won't be able to do anything until dark, so we're safe now. Caroline, Zach, don't go home."

I nodded, understanding how unstable and probably bloodthirsty Damon was. "I'll see if I can go to Bonnie's."

Zach said he would go to a hotel or something, and then he left. Stefan and I headed back to the car wash.

"Hi Bonnie!" I said, walking over to her. "Can I stay at your house tonight? Damon is being a bit unstable and Stefan says he doesn't know how he'll react. His – er – friend died or something."

She smiled slightly. "Yeah, my dad won't care. I might go over to my Grams later, but she loves you, so she won't care either."

~Later~

Bonnie knocked on the door of her Gram's house, and she smiled nervously at me.

"Hi Grams." she murmured, her face twisting as she started to sniffle. "What's happening to me?"

Gram's eyes widened and she ushered us in, placing her hand on the small of my back, guiding me inside.

Bonnie continued into the living-room, but her Grams held me back. "I know you know about vampires, Caroline."

**Elena's POV**

Stefan is a … vampire.

**Third Person POV:**

Vicki and a bunch of the town druggies sat in the woods, extremely stoned and extremely drunk. There was music playing in the background, and they were laying around. The music stopped and Vicki groaned. They were all too lazy, they probably want her to turn it back on.

They laughed as they said her name, and she dragged herself off the ground. When she reached the car, there was a familiar man leaning against the car.

"Hey, man, you ok?" she asked, fumbling for the radio nob.

"Come here." he wheezed. "Come here."

Vicki's eyes widened as she realized it was Damon, her boyfriend.

"Damon?" she asked. "You don't look so good."

She came closer, wrapping her arm around his neck when she felt teeth sink into her neck.

The world went black.

~At Someone's Home~

"Alyssa Fell was found dead by the woods near Mystic Falls High." the news reporter's voice droned through the silence. "It seems to be another wild animal attack, despite an animal already being captured and put down. Families and friends mourn for such a bright girl. The funeral will be announced soon."

A curse was shouted through the silent house, and a door slammed shut, shaking the home down to the foundation.


	18. Lost Girls : Part One

**Caroline's POV**

The next morning, after I left Bonnie's Gran's house, I went home, only to find Stefan, looking distraught on the couch.

"Hey, Stef." I said quietly, my mind spinning at the news that Bonnie was a witch.

He didn't respond to my greeting, only staring down at the floor. "Stef?" I asked again, quietly, sitting next to him and laying a hand on his shoulder. "What happened?"

He looked at me with his green eyes and sighed. "Elena knows that I'm – I'm … what I am. She didn't believe me when I said I didn't drink human blood." he sighed again. "She told me to stay away from her and her friends."

"Does she not know about Alyssa?" I asked uncertainly.

He shook her head. "I guess not. She'll figure it out sooner or later, though." he trailed off. "And probably blame it on me."

I opened my mouth to speak, but it was cut off by a phone ringing. Stefan pulled it out of his pocket and groaned when he saw the name.

"It's Damon." he groaned and answered the phone, putting it on speaker phone for me.

"Hello?" he answered, chewing on his bottom lip.

"I want the ring." Damon demanded, cutting straight to the chase, and skipping over any formalities Stefan tried to place.

"Where are you?" Stefan sighed, glancing at me worriedly.

Damon spoke, and we could hear the smirk in his voice. "I'm at the sizzler." he said sarcastically. "I had the buffet. Where's my ring?" he demanded again.

"I don't have it." Stefan said again, looking again at me. "Where are you? What have you done, Damon?"

Damon laughed emotionlessly. "Nooo, what have  _you_  done? You're the one that locked me in the basement and starved me. Whatever I've done, whoever I've sucked dry is on you, buddy."

"He didn't force you to kill anyone, Damon." I snapped, scowling deeply.

Damon chuckled. "I thought I heard a heartbeat, Blondie."

"You're being careless. How many more animal attacks is this town going to believe, huh?"

Damon laughed again. "I know how to cover my tracks, Stef.  _Where's my ring?_ "

Stefan blinked and he looked at me for a third time that morning. "I gave it to Alyssa to hide, probably shouldn't have killed her."

Damon was silent for a moment. "No, you didn't did you? There's no way you could have known that I would call out to Alyssa for help...you gave it to Blondie, didn't you?" he paused for a moment. "So, Blondie, where's the ring?"

"I don't know." I said honestly. Stefan had given me the ring, but I had thrown it at the address he had given to me, so I honestly didn't know.

"Don't make me kill anyone, now, Blondie." he threatened and I flinched, as my loved one's faces appeared in my mind.

"We'll get it back, but we need time." Stefan quickly said, chewing on his lip and standing up.

Damon groaned. "What, did she Fed-Ex it to Rome?! Where is it? Don't make me make a stop at Elena's or Bonnie's now."

I winced, but managed to snap back, "Stefan already wants you dead, don't give him another reason to make it happen."

He snorted indignantly. "Don't give me a reason to kill you where you stand, Blondie."

I whirled around at my place on the couch, but smirked. "I'm not standing, dumb ass, anyways, it's daylight, you couldn't survive a minute without burning to pieces."

"So, Damon, are you going to rip someone apart before or after you get your ring back?" Stefan chuckled, before Damon replied. "Just get it."

Stefan hung up immediately after that, and pulled me up off the couch. "Caroline, you have to tell me, where did you put it?"

I blinked and managed to stutter out. "I just threw it at the address in the woods you told me. I literally closed my eyes, spun around and threw it as hard as I could."

He groaned. "Go look for it?" I nodded and he tossed me his keys. "Take my car, it needs to be driven." "I'm going to check on Elena and then meet you there." he continued.

I nodded obediently and went to his car.

As I drove through the back road to the old Salvatore property, I passed a cemetery packed with police cars.

"Sheriff Bennett?" I called out, pulling over to the side and rolling down my window. He glanced up from his place by his car and walked over to me. "What happened?" I asked, scrunching up my nose at the smell.

"Drug deal gone bad." he said nonchalantly, studying me curiously. "What are you doing all the way out here, Caroline?"

I quickly thought of an excuse. "I wanted to go hiking today down at the old Salvatore property. Zach said it was really beautiful."

He nodded, looking only the slightest bit suspicious. "Okay, have fun." he nodded at me and I slowly rolled my window up. I heard another deputy say Vicki's name and I furrowed my brows as I drove away.

Once I arrived at the address, I closed my eyes and repeated my steps as best as I could, throwing a rock in the direction I thought I threw the ring, leaving my eyes open. The rock landed with a thud in a pile of briars and I groaned, walking over to them and carefully digging through them for the shiny lapis lazuli ring. After about twenty minutes of searching in a wide circle, I finally found it hidden behind an old column. I slipped it into my pocket and stretched, only to see Stefan and Elena pull up and get out.

"Caroline?" she looked at me suspiciously. "What are you doing here?" she looked at Stefan. "What are  _we_  doing here?"

"I want to show you something." he said slowly and Elena's brows furrowed. "In the middle of nowhere?" she scoffed and headed back for the car when he called out and stopped her. "This...didn't used to be nowhere. This used to be my home."

She furrowed her brows again and looked around the overgrown patch of land. "It looks so..."

"Old?" I offered, and Stefan nodded.

"It's because it is."

"Wait-" she said. "How long have you..."

"I've been 17 since 1864." he said as a matter of factly, avoiding both of our gazes.

"Oh. My god." she murmured, placing a hand on her forehead dramatically.

"You said you wanted to know, and Caroline, you're family, so you deserve to know too. I won't hold anything back." he took a deep breath, and launched into the story. "Half a century before the boarding house was even built, this was my family's home. Damon and I... we were both born here. The Salvatore brothers." he murmured, reminiscing. "Best friends."

He then launched into a story of him and his brother playing football, and how Katherine exited the house and stole the ball, running into the maze of bushes. Katherine reached the end first and proclaimed that she won, and demanded that she deserved a prize. Both boys wanted to escort her to the founders ball, and she didn't make a choice just then, simply walked away, leading both of them on.

We walked around the old estate, Stefan looking at the ruins sadly. "She chose me." he continued. "I escorted her to the ball at the original Lockwood mansion."

Elena nodded uncertainly. "The first founder's party right? Where you signed the registry?"

I looked at Stefan questioningly, and he nodded.

"I didn't care that I had gotten something that my brother wanted. I didn't even care if I hurt him. IO only know that I wanted her."

"So, he was...pissed?" I asked and he nodded, rubbing his temple.

"That's the thing about Damon. He doesn't get mad. He just gets even."

**Third Person POV**

Meanwhile, at Vicki Donovan's house, while Matt was at work...

Damon and Vicki danced around her bedroom, the lights all off and the blinds shut.

"What did you give me?" she asked, towel drying her hair as she danced around.

"Some blood." Damon shrugged, smirking devilishly. "You loved it."

She rubbed her eyes. "I did?" she blinked uncertainly. "How did we get home? Wasn't I just at the woods with my friends?"

"I ran into you in the woods. You were drunk. I attacked you and killed all your friends, brought you here, gave you some blood. You loved it. And...now we're going to party till the sun goes down." he said, and it was almost impossible to tell if he compelled her. He said it so nonchalantly that Vicki only could respond with a, "Oh...okay. Can I have some more blood?"

He smirked. "Only if I can."

They each pressed their lips to the others wrist and drank.

**Caroline's POV**

"What Damon wants, Damon usually gets. I didn't know it at the time, but it turns out that night, Katherine was with him, too." Stefan sighed, sitting down on an old stone bench.

"He stole her from you?" Elena asked, raising an eyebrow. "Not the other way around?"

Stefan shrugged. "Turns out, she wasn't ours to steal." he continued, explaining how he found out that she was a vampire, and wanted her to go away, but she compelled him and Damon both.

"She could control both of our minds. She wanted us all to be together, forever, and it didn't work out that way..."

"Damon and you are stuck together, whether you like it or not?" I asked, and Stefan nodded.

"Exactly."

He turned to me. "Caroline, did you find it?" I pulled the ring out from my pocket, nodding.

"Is that his ring?" Elena asked, staring at the object in my hand with unmasked curiosity.

"I took it from him, but we have to give it back, or he'll kill people." Stefan explained and Elena's mouth dropped open. "He'll kill people?"

We both nodded grimly.

"Did you ever do that to me?" Elena asked suddenly, staring Stefan down.

Stefan shook his head. "No. Both you and Caroline have a necklace, with an herb, called vervain. It protects you from being compelled. Neither of you should take that necklace off. You both have always been free to make your own choice."

**Third Person POV**

The man slipped into the Salvatore boarding house through the back window, and headed up the stairs into the blonde teenager's room. He dug through her drawers, throwing paper everywhere and leaving a mess. After searching in every possible hiding spot, he cursed and headed down for the exit. As he climbed out the window, Caroline's car sat unlocked in the driveway. He looked at it curiously, walking over and climbing into the backseat and searching around. A few minutes later, he found it underneath the passenger seat. Smirking, he climbed out and went to his car, which was parked a few yards away.

**Vicki's POV**

I blinked my eyes open to an overly bright and loud room, groaning. "What happened?" I asked, seeing Damon lounging on my bed. "We were dancing and then-"

"I killed you." he simply replied, and I gaped at him.

"What?"


	19. Lost Girls : Part Two

“You're dead.” he shrugged, taking a swig of bourbon he must have gotten from our liquor cabinet in the kitchen.

“I'm dead?” I repeated dumbly, staring at him.

“Yeah, well, let's not make a big deal out of it. You drank my blood, I killed you, and now you have to feed in order to complete the process.” he shrugged again. “I explained this all to you already, hun. Use your noggin.”

I laughed, feeling a bit sky-high. “You're wasted.”

“You don't wanna be out there all alone. You're about to get really freaky.” he said, as I got up and headed to the door. I opened it and looked at him.

“Damon, I had a really great time, but I think it's time you go home. I want to go see Jeremy.”  
He shook his head, getting up and walking over to me. “You're gonna start craving blood, and until you get it, you're gonna feel very out of it. You have to be careful.”

I narrowed my eyes at him. “Come on, Damon.” I grumbled my head starting to pound. “Go home.” I pushed his chest, groaning.

“See?” he snorted. “You're already starting to fall apart.”

I rolled my eyes and exited my room, staggering to my front door. “And I'm going now.” I opened it and groaned loudly as the sun hit my face. Why did the sun hurt so bad? I threw an arm across my eyes and slammed the door shut. I grabbed the sunglasses laying on the coffee table and stumbled back over to the front door, feeling Damon's eyes follow me with interest.

As I opened the door again, Damon chuckled darkly. “Ok, fine. I'm just warning you.” he smirked and ushered me to my car, staying in the shadows that my house cast across the pavement. “Actually, you know what? You should go. In fact, if I were you, I would stop by your lover Jeremy's house.”

I scoffed. Jeremy wasn't my lover...not really anyways. “Yeah, whatever Damon.” I climbed into my car and started it.

He knocked on the window and I rolled it down. “Bye. Tell Elena I said hi. and if you see Stefan, tell him to call me.” Smirking wider, he backed away and disappeared into the house.

Vampire? Right? I probably just partied to hard like I usually did.

 

Third Person POV

“Sorry I'm late.” Logan murmured as he walked over to the mayor. Mr. Lockwood shrugged. “You have the watch?” was all he asked.

Once Logan nodded, all the mayor said again, was, “It's ready.”  
Logan looked at him in disbelief. “That's it?” That couldn't be it, he thought to himself, this was almost too easy.

His companion nodded. “Yes, that's it.”

 

Caroline's POV

I followed Stefan and Elena to Vicki's house, because Damon had called Stefan and told them to high-tail to their house with his ring before he killed her.

When we arrived, Damon was lounging on Vicki's bed, looking smug.

“Where's Vicki, Damon?” Stefan demanded. “What did you do?”

“What ever do you mean, brother?” he blinked innocently. Damon smirked a moment later, dropping the act. “She's headed to Jeremy's.”

Elena gaped at him. “You monster!”

Damon chuckled, getting up. He placed a hand on his chest. “Aw, Elena, I'm hurt.”

He walked over to her and cocked his head, staring downward. “I'm the monster? I didn't lead poor Matt on.” he pushed her out the door and she fell into the hallway, her head snapping against the floor with a crack. She started to cry, and Stefan quickly rushed her out to her car, calling me to come with him.  
I started to walk away as well, but Damon flashed in front of me. “Not so fast, Blondie.” he smirked down at me, brushing a piece of hair out of my face.

I tensed up and started to say something, when Stefan reappeared, dragging his brother into the sunset light that was drifting in through Matt's bedroom.

He cursed and Damon and Stefan fought. I looked around the room, my eyes landing on the strange necklace Bonnie had mentioned. I slowly walked over and picked it up, slipping it into my pocket and walking cautiously into the hallway. Vicki probably wouldn't be needing this after everything was over. Peering into the living room, I saw that Damon was gone, leaving Stefan laying on the coffee table, groaning and mumbling curses under his breath.

“Where'd he go?” I asked, rushing to his side.

Stefan huffed, sat up and popped his shoulder back into place with a loud crack. “I don't know, he just saw that it was dusk, and he bolted.”

Elena stumbled in through the front door. “Forget about Damon, we need to go check on Jeremy! I don't trust Vicki alone with him!”

We all nodded in agreement and got into our cars and drove to Elena's house.

By the time we arrived, Matt's car was already in our driveway.

“Damn, Vick!” I heard Matt cuss as we entered the house.

“What's going on?” Elena shrieked, running into the kitchen.

“She's really messed up, man.” Matt's face was distraught and he looked like he was going to cry. 

“Elena, Caroline,” Stefan called out, still standing in the entryway to the kitchen, “Back up. Vicki, look at me. Focus.” her eyes peeked at him between her fingers and she squinted. “Everything's gonna be fine. Guys,” he nodded at Matt and Jeremy. “Take her up to bed. Shut the blinds. She's gonna be okay.” he took a deep, calming breath and helped them help her up. “Come on. Come on.”

The two boys took him upstairs and when they were out of sight, I turned to Stefan.

“She's a vampire isn't she?”

He nodded. “She's transitioning.” he clarified, looking cautiously at Elena, who was beginning to get overwhelmed.

“Transitioning into what?”

Sighing and placing a hand on her shoulder, I explained. “Damon killed Vicki with his blood in her system, and now, she's turning into a vampire.”

“H-how does she get human again?” she asked, her brown eyes big.

“She has to feed on human blood.” he replied.

“And if she doesn't?” she quired again, and I replied for Stefan, who was looking frusterated and worried at the same time.

“She'll die. Might only have a few hours?” I glanced at the only vampire in the room, who nodded in confirmation.

“But she's upstairs with two humans, Stefan!” I continued, the gears turning in my head.

“It's okay. She doesn't know what's happening to her just yet.” he placed a hand on my shoulder and looked into both of our eyes.

“When is she going to know?” Elena demanded, turning towards the staircase.

“Right now she doesn't-” Stefan started, but the conversation I'd overheard from a few days ago came drifting back.

“She knows about vampires. Damon told her. I remember hearing them once. It's only a matter of time until she figures out A+B=C.” Elena and I glanced at each other before springing up the stairs.

Halfway up the stairs, a figures sprints down the stairs and heads out the front door into the night, leaving us staring after her in confusion.

Stefan came around the corner to the bottom of the stairs, and Matt and Jeremy appeared at the top.

“She was fine, and then she just-” Jeremy's brows furrowed. “She just freaked out.”

Matt sighed, jogging down the stairs and pushing past us girls. “I'm gonna go look for her. Call me if you hear anything.”

We all nodded in agreement, and Jeremy headed back into his room, while Elena and I went to Stefan.

“I can track her.” he murmured, looking to the both of us. 

Elena and I met eyes and before I could say anything, Elena scoffed. “Well, what are you waiting for Stefan?”

 

Third Person POV

As Vicki ran away from the Gilbert house, somewhere else in Mystic Falls, Logan Fell was searching with the compass just inside the main branch of woods close to the old cemetery. Whipping out his phone, he dialed the Sheriff's number.

“I think I got something.” he said, trying to mask his nervousness. “It's pointing towards the old cemetary.”

The Sheriff heard his concealed nerves and sighed. “Headed your way now.”

 

Caroline's POV

I decided to go home and wait, despite Elena's protests. I knew that Zach was out of town, so I would be alone. This honestly really scared me, but I stayed in my room, clutching a stake to my chest and sipping my vervain tea slowly.

I sat in the silence for a good five minutes, when someone knocked once, twice, three times, lightly on my door.

The door swung open, and I ran towards it, pushing it shut. Damon instinctively pushed back and I stumbled back, landing on my bed.

Taking a deep shaky breath, I shoved the stake into the back of my jeans and stood up slowly, meeting his eyes with determination.

“You're afraid of me.” he smirked, stepping into my room here. “And so is Elena.” his arrogant expression widened when he saw my eyes widen. “Yes, I paid a visit to her to, and no, I didn't hurt her, despite not having my ring back yet.”

I took a few cautious steps so I was standing in the bathroom. “Stay away from me, Damon.” I snarled and he laughed.

“Hey, there's no need to be rude, Blondie.” He chuckled again. “I'm just looking for Stef. Can I come in?” he stepped past the line where the bedroom carpet and the bathroom tile met. “Oh wait,-” he laughed yet again. “I live here too.”

My heart thudded in my chest and I put on my best face. “Cut to the chase Damon, what the hell do you want?”

He pushed me against the wall and held me there by my shoulders. “I'm not going to kill you right now,. That wouldn't serve me busy agenda. So...where's Stefan? Elena was no help, but you...” he clicked his tongue. “You and my brother can sometimes be like two peas-in-a-pod.

Shrugging as best as I could, I honestly replied, “He's out looking for Vicki. Are you that stupid?” the last part fell out, and my eyes widened as his smirk turned into a thin line.

“Don't talk to me like that. Vicki's going to thank me when she finishes the job.”

I snorted. “I bet you and Stefan were so grateful to Katherine when she forced it on you.”

Chuckling darkly, he murmured. “Mmm, go the whole life story, the both of you did.”

I laughed. “It was enough.”

“Eh.” he shrugged, backing away. “Doubt it.” he turned and started to walk out my room when he suddenly stopped. “Tell my brother I'm looking for him. Oh, and tip for later, don't stash your stakes in the back of your pants.” he waved it around, smirking, and then he broke it in two on his knee and threw it in my trash with a flourish. 

Sighing, I shot Stefan a quick text telling him briefly about Damon.

 

Stefan's POV

“Vicki.” I sat quietly as I walked over to her. 

She was cowering against an old tree just outside an old cemetery. She looked at me nervously. “I'm starting to remember things.” she admitted. “I always knew, deep down, I think. He told me about what he was – what you are – I remember you compelling me at th-the hospital. It's all coming back.” she took a shaky breath. “I'm a monster, aren't I?”

I frowned, walking over to her slowly. “I'm so sorry. Damon had no right to do this to you.”

“What happens if-if i don't feed?” she asked nervously, and her eyes darted around the dark forest.

“You'll fade quickly, and then...then it'll just be all over.” I whispered and her eyes snapped to mine.

“I'll be dead.” she said dully, and slumped farther into the tree.   
“Hey.” I said again, softly, trying to confort her as best as I could.

“I don't want this!” She suddenly exclaimed, and I could have sworn I heard footsteps and the crunch of a leaf, but my ears were trained on Vicki, confused, impulsive, Vicki.

I nodded. “I know. It'll be ok. You're gonna be ok. I can help you.”

A million questions flew out of her mouth, and again, I didn't notice the approaching footsteps. “Is it better? Is it better? Will I be better? I wanna go home. Will you take me home?”

I bent down to help her up, “Okay.”

I heard a gunshot, and pain ripped through my body. I screamed as I hit the floor, and Vicki gasped. “NO!”

Damon appeared and snapped Logan's neck, taking a big bite out of him. I heard a crunch as his body hit the floor, and the irony scent of blood hit my nose. Damon's fingers dug the bullet out of my chest, and laughed humorously. “It's wood.” he rubbed his temple as I sat up. “They know. If anyone's gonna kill you, it's gonna be me.” he held out his hand. ”My ring.”

I sighed and hesitantly placed it in his hand. A slurping, moaning sound hit my ears and I whirled around to see Vicki, eagerly gulping up Logan's blood.

“No!” I shouted, trying to crawl over to her. “No! Vicki!”

She pulled back, her whole face smeared with his sticky blood. “I'm sorry.” she murmured and got up.

I glared at Damon, who simply smirked at me. “Oops.” He picked the compass up out of Logan's dead hands and stood up, dragging Vicki and Stefan to the main road and then disappearing.

 

Caroline's POV

Stefan stopped by at our house, and we both got into the car and drove over to Elena's house. He was silent the whole ride, not saying anything. I didn't prod him with questions, either. He'd tell us all at once, or not tell us at all.

“You're bleeding!” Elena gasped, rushing off her front porch to Stefan as he climbed out of the car. 

“No. It's okay. It's okay.” he pushed away her hand. “I'm ok.” he paused, and glanced back at me. “I couldn't stop her. I tried.”

“What does that mean?” she asked before I could speak up.

He sighed. “She fed, and then I lost her.”

“Oh, my god.” I mumbled.

“You're going to have to kill her, won't you?” Elena whispered, and Stefan shook his head quickly.

“I'll take care of it. I'll find her, and I'll show her that she can live like I do. I'll make sure that she doesn't hurt anybody. I promise you.” he turned to me. “Both of you.”

“What do we tell everyone?” I asked.

“We can come up with a story.” Stefan replied, as we walked to the front steps and sat down.

“A lie?” Elena snorterd and rolled her eyes.

“I'm so sorry.” Stef said geniuenly. Elena got up and sighed.

“I gave you today, just like you asked. I understand that you woulod never do anything to hurt me, and I promise I will keep your secret, but...I can't be with you Stefan, I-I just can't.” she rushed into the house and slammed the door behind her. 

Stefan's face fell and I hugged him tightly.

“C'mon Stefan, let's go home. We can deal with everything in the morning.”


	20. Haunted : Part One

Halfway home, we saw Vicki standing by Jeremy's car at the Grill. We all got out, to see Damon compelling Tyler, who was glaring at Jeremy, Vicki and Damon intensely.

“Forget what you saw here tonight. None of us were here.” 

Tyler walked away with a dazed look on his face, and then Damon proceeded to compel Jeremy, who climbed into his car and drove away.

Damon turned to us next. “Oh, good, the fun police are here. Help me load Vicki into the backseat so we can take her back to our place.”

Stefan groaned and rubbed his temples before they pulled the struggling Vicki into the backseat of my car and buckled her in. Damon climbed into the back with her, and kept her still as Stefan climbed into the front with me.

“Go on, drive. You're gonna drive her crazy with your heart, Blondie.” Damon ordered and I nodded once, glancing at them in the rear-view mirror before pulling away.

 

~The next morning~

Early the next morning, around six, I heard a loud bang and I sat up uncertainly in my bed. I had just finished writing in my diary, so I got up and made my way into the hall to hear Stefan and Damon fighting. I went into a guest room to see Stefan holding Damon back as best as he could while Vicki spoke to her brother.

“No Matty, I just need some time to figure things out. Just know that I am okay, okay? Please don't worry about me.” she hung up afterwords and Stefan let go of Damon. She groaned, throwing herself on the bed. “I don't understand why you guys make me stay cooped up here! Why can't I just go home?”

Stefan rubbed his temples and sat down next to her. “Because you're changing, Vicki, and it's definitely not something you want to do alone.”

Damon came back with a newspaper in his hand. “There's nothin' about that reporter guy I killed in here. Not a word.” he tossed the newspaper in the trash. “Someone's covering it up!” he pulled the compass out of his pocket and watched as it idly spun around in circles.

“What is that?” I asked, walking over to Damon. “Is that my grandfather's pocket watch?”

“This is a very special, very old compass-slash-pocketwatch.” He turned to Stefan and furrowed his brows. “What was Logan Fell doing with it? Aren't you even a little bit curious?”

“Curiousity killed the cat.” I mused, leaning against the door frame.

“Satisfaction brought it back.” Damon parried. 

The younger Salvatore shook his head. “Well, if you're so worried that somebody's onto you, why don't you just leave town, Damon?”

My head bobbed in agreement. “That's a wonderful idea!”

Vicki glanced warily at me, then nudged Stefan in the ribs. “Hey, um, I'm hungry, do you have anything to uh – eat?”

Damon came over and nudged me. “Here.”  
“No.” Stefan said quickly, running into another room and appearing a split second later with a cup.

“Here.”

Damon rolled his eyes dramatically. “What is it?” she asked and Stefan swallowed nervously.

“It's what you're craving.”

The elder Salvatore laughed. “Don't lie to the girl. It's so not what you're craving, but it'll do in a pinch, right Stef?” he chuckled again and Vicki looked at the cup and then to Stefan suspiciously.

“What is it?”

“Yeah, hunter, what is it? Skunk? Saint Bernard? Bambi?” I flinched at the thought of Stefan killing a cute little doe.

“Go on.” Stefan prodded. “Give it a try.”

She nervously took a small sip, but didn't comment on the taste.

Damon groaned and got up. “She's new! She needs Blondie blood.” he winked jokingly at me. “She can't sustain on that stuff.”

Vicki eyeballed me again. “Yeah, why can't I just eat Caroline?” she paused for a moment, then added. “No offense, Caroline.”

“Yeah.” Damon encouraged, glancing to me and then to his brother.

The younger rubbed his temples in frustration. “Because.” looking at Vicki seriously, he continued. “It's wrong to pray on innocent people, Vicki.”

She laughed and looked at me. “Caroline is hardly innocent.”

“It's still wrong.” he murmued.

Damon sat down on the other side of Vicki. “You don't have to kill to feed. Just find someone really tasty and then erase their memory after wards. It's so easy.”

Vicki seemed to be leaning towards Damon's idea, so I spoke up. “There's no guarantee she could control herself, right? Wouldn't it take years to learn control?”

Stefan nodded. “You could easily kill someone, and then you'd have to carry that with you for the rest of your life, which, if I haven't made clear, is eternity.”

Damon groaned, and got up off the bed. “Don't listen to them. They walk on a moral plane way out of our eye line. I say snatch, eat, erase!”

Vicki was obviously very confused, and I felt bad for her.

“Hey.” Stefan said softly. “Look at me. We choose our own path. Our values and our actions, they define who we are.”

Damon groaned and walked out the door, calling, “Okay count and countess deepak, I'm out of here!”

“Can I have some more?” Vicki asked and Stefan and I smiled.

I went to my room, but before I got to enter, I heard the doorbell ring. I jogged down the stairs and answered it.

“Hi Elena?” I said uncertainly. A nervous, forced, smile appeared on her face. 

“Is Stefan here?”

I nodded, stepping aside. Elena stepped in, and I heard Damon enter the foyer.

“Go away Damon.” Elena and I both said.

“And good morning to you, little miss “I'm on a mission”.” he smirked.

I groaned, and pushed by him. “Nobody has time for your arrogance, Damon. Go stiff some vervain.” I rolled my eyes and headed towards my room when Damon grabbed my arm.

“Nobody has time for your bravery calling me, a vampire, arrogant.”

“If you wanted her dead,” Elena spoke up, “She'd be dead.”

“Yes,” he smirked at me and allowed me to jerk my arm from his grasp. “She would – if I wanted her to be.”

“But neither of us are.” I pointed out, and he smirked wider, raising his eyebrows once. 

“Yet.”

“Where's Stefan?” Elena asked again, rolling her eyes at Damon.

“He's upstairs with Vicki.” I said before Damon could say anything. “C'mon.” 

We made our way upstairs when I heard Damon call in a sing-song voice. “Don't get eaten!”

“Bite me!” I called back.

I heard his laugh. “Don't tempt me!”

I rolled my eyes and Elena and I went into the guest bedroom.

Vicki was nowhere to be seen, but I saw the bathroom door shut.

“What happens now?” Elena demanded as soon as she saw Stefan walk into the bedroom. She crossed her arms and continued. “Because I'm lying to everyone! What am I supposed to tell them?”

What's new Elena? You lie all the time. A snide voice in my head whispered and I smirked to myself.

Stefan groaned. “I'm working with he r, but it's gonna take time. She has a very volatile and impulsive personality. She's a drug user. I mean, that's all gonna play a part in how she responds to this.”

Elena groaned again running a hand through her hair. “She's a vampire with issues? What am I gonna do? What's gonna happen to me if they find out about her?”

I rolled my eyes. Elena just had to make herself priority number one, again.

“I'm gonna keep her here with me until I know she's safe.” Stefan said, drinking a glass of alcohol. 

The door to the bathroom opened, and Vicki walked in, eying Elena and I. “How long is that?”

“We can talk about that later,” he said nonchalantly.

“Hey again Vicki.” I greeted with a nod. “Doing any better?”

She rolled her eyes and scowled even deeper when Elena asked, “Yeah Vicki, how are you?”

“You're kidding, right?” her scowl seemed to be glued to her face.

 

Third Person POV:

Damon sat on one side of Mystic Grill, sipping bourbon idly. Mayor Lockwood and his wife, Mrs. Lockwood were on the other side, talking about the watch.

“We never should have trusted that Logan...weasel...with the watch!” he exclaimed quietly, before taking a big gulp of his drink.

Damon's ears perked up at the mention of the watch, and he zero-ed in on their conversation.

“How many are we dealing with?” his wife asked nervously, glancing around the grill.

The mayor shrugged. “The coroner thinks three. Something about the wound radius and the jaw pattern. It's had to tell though. He said some bites were a bit different – looked a bit smaller, deeper.”

Damon heard Mrs. Lockwood's heartbeat increase ever-so-slightly and he rolled his eyes. “Are we in danger? I mean, if it found the watch, then it knows we know, and could it come after us?” she grabbed the mayor's drink and took a tentative sip. “A-and should I even be saying 'it'? Or...or is it a – uh – he or a she?”

Mayor Lockwood shrugged, running a hand through his short dark hair. “If it has any historical knowledge of the town, then it'll know where the watch came from. So yes, we could very much be in danger.”

She swallowed. “So what do we do?”

Her husband sighed. “For now, just keep in quiet. We can't have the entire town aware of this. We need to find it before it finds us.”

 

~

 

Damon smirked. It had already found them. They seemed to think that vampires weren't partially human, in the sense of smarts or looks. Damon's emotions had never been shut off, but he had trained himself over the decades to not care. To be careless. Caring slowed him down, and emotions clouded his head. He took a swig of his bourbon, his icey eyes following the mayor and his wife as they exited the restaurant. 


	21. Haunted : Part Two

**Caroline's POV**

I adjusted the bag Elena had given to me before I left on my shoulder. Walking into school and waving at a few of my acquaintances, I headed towards Bonnie's locker.

"Hi!" I chirped, standing next to her.

"Hey Care!" she grinned at me, but her grin turned into a confused expression when her eyes settled on the bag over my shoulder.

"What's that?" I set my purse on the ground and handed her the bag.

"It's a Halloween costume Elena picked out for you. She wanted me to bring it to you." I explained, and she pulled out a witch-looking dress.

"Seriously?" she scoffed, and I looked at it for the first time. It wasn't too bad, but it had a matching pointed hat to go with it. An idea popped into my head, and I fished the necklace I had taken from Vicki's house out of my purse.

"This would go great with it!" I grinned cheekily.

Bonnie smiled a bit before speaking."Wait...isn't this the necklace Damon gave Vicki?"

I chewed on my lip and nodded. "I found it...um...somewhere. I told Vicki the last time I saw her but, um, she said it was okay if I kept it for while." I lied easily and scanned Bonnie's face for any suspicion.

She seemed to believe me and took it from me, slipping it into the bag I'd just given her. "Hey, have you seen Elena?" Bonnie asked after shoving the bag into her locker and grabbing some books for class.

"You know how she is about costumes. Do we know what she's wearing? What are you wearing anyways?" I shrugged in response when my phone rang.

"Hello?"

"Hey, Care, could you come and get Elena out of here? I don't want her to get hurt by Vicki, and she keeps provoking her." Stefan whispered quickly into the phone. I sighed, knowing I'd be missing the classes that I was already behind in.

"Fine." I groaned and fished my keys out of my bag. "You owe me though, big time. I'm already falling behind."

"Thanks Care." he sighed and hung up. "I have to head home..." I mumbled.

"Zach isn't feeling well and Stefan's dealing with his brother, so I have to go help him." I lied again, and a bitter taste was left in my mouth.

Bonnie nodded sympathetically.

"I understand. See you later, Caroline." she smiled at me and I forced a smile back, and headed to my car.

~later, at the boarding house~

I sat at the table with Elena, Stefan and Vicki. The two vampires were drinking coffee while Elena and I sat there in silence, listening to Stefan and Vicki talk.

"Coffee is out friend." Stefan said, sounding like a counselor.

"It's the caffeine. It circulates through our veins and warms us to the touch."

Vicki nodded before saying, "Well, what if I wanna drink human blood?" she eyed Elena and I for a moment.

Her question got a sigh out of Stefan. "You're gonna have to learn to live with that urge and fight it on a daily basis, one day at a time."

She scoffed and rolled her eyes. "Oh god. Don't start with that whole 12 steps thing! School counselor has been down that road, and it doesn't work for me."

He sighed yet again. "It  _can_  work. It's  _your_  choice, Vicki." She thought for a moment before asking curiously, "So you've never tasted human blood?" I noticed Elena started to pay more attention at this statement, and she didn't look at them, but she was obviously more alert than before. I, on the other hand knew some about Stefan's past from Zach, and a bit that he had told me, but it wasn't much. Stefan glanced over at Elena before responding. "Not in a long time."

"How long?" she prodded and Stefan bit his bottom lip nervously. "Years and years. I'm not proud of my past behavior." he said vaguely.

Vicki nodded thoughtfully. Before groaning and raking a hand through her wavy hair. "Does this sketchy feeling  _ever_  go away? It's like I have a massive hangover..." she trailed off and glanced to the window, where the curtains were closed. "This daylight thing is a bitch..." she looked back at Stefan and practically demanded, "I need more blood. Where's your bathroom?"

Vicki furrowed her brows, scoffing. "I have to pee...why do I have to pee?" I heard her mumble, "I thought I was dead."

As she headed the direction Stefan had pointed. Elena, Stefan and I all met eyes and Stefan stood up abruptly. "I'm going to, uh..." he trailed off awkwardly and I assisted the awkwardness by saying, "Hunt for Vicki."

He looked at me and nodded once, partially in agreement, but mostly in thanks.

"Alright." he wiped his hands on his jeans and nodded at the both of us. "I'll be quick."

He left the room and I glanced at Elena, who had gotten up. I got up as well and walked over to her.

"Don't you think we should go to school now?" She rolled her eyes. "School can wait! I have to make sure Vicki doesn't screw up any potential relationship between Stefan and I!"

_What?_

"I thought you 'couldn't be with him'?"

I narrowed my eyes and Elena shrugged. "Oh, uh, yeah... I can't, but, I want to have the option if I um, change my mind." she mumbled and I nodded. "Oh." was all I said before Vicki re-entered the room.

"False alarm!" she announced, adjusting her midriff bearing shirt. "My body's feeling really funky." she walked over to the table and picked up her phone.

"It's a good funk, but it's weird."

"Um." Elena spoke up. "Who are you calling?"

Vicki glanced up, smiling slightly. "Jeremy."

I raised my eyebrows. "Are you sure that's a good idea?"

The smile melted off her face and a scowl took its' place. "Are you sure you should question me?"

Elena rolled her eyes and butted in. "You can't see him anymore. It's not safe for him!" Vicki laughed.

"Oh, come on, girls! Don't you start that bull." she rolled her eyes. "I'm going to see _whoever_  I wanna see."

My friend stepped forwards slightly. "Even though you could hurt him or out yourself?"

The newbie vampire looked offended. "I would _never_ hurt Jeremy! He's my friend!"

"Yeah," Elena retorted. "With benefits." she looked disgusted.

"Vicki." I said softly, noticing her rising anger. "I know you think that, but I don't think Elena wants to take that risk."

Elena bobbed her head in agreement. "You have to let my little brother go."

I saw something in Vicki snap, and I slowly took a step towards the door that led to the hallway.

"Oh really?" she snarled, throwing her phone down. "And how long have you been planning the 'I'm better than you, stay away from my family' speech?" she crossed her arms across her chest. "I'm assuming it predates the whole vampire thing, am I right?"

I watched as Elena's small adam's apple bobbed as she gulped. "All I'm saying is...Jeremy cannot – is not – getting involved in any of this. I mean it Vicki."

Vicki snarled and rushed forwards, slamming Elena against the wall. "Or what?" I knew I had to get help from someone! Zach was still out of town with business, so I rushed to the front door to get my phone out of my purse, which was sadly in my car.

"Help!" I shrieked, running down the stairs. "Damon? Are you here?" I called again before running to the front door. I threw it open and stared wide-eyed at Klaus standing there, seemingly surprised that I was there. "Klaus, you have to help – Elena, - she's," I gasped out, when I felt a hand on my shoulder.

"What? I'm fine." she said nonchalantly and I gaped at her. "But, you-" I mumbled, narrowing my eyes.  _She was just pinned against the wall by a vampire! How in hell was she free?_

"I'm fine, Caroline. We just had a little disagreement is all." she smiled at me, then turned to Klaus.

"Hi, what do you need?"

"He's here to see me." a voice behind Klaus said, and I stood on my tip-toes to see Damon leaning against a column.

"Oh." Elena and I said, and we stepped to the side to let them in.

"Hello Damon." Klaus greeted, a wolfish grin appearing on his face. "Should we take this somewhere more...private?" he glanced at Elena and I.

"Oh, I'm sorry!" I mumbled. "We're just heading off to school, so we'll leave you two so you can have a private conversation." I flashed a smile at Klaus who smiled charmingly back, before grabbing Elena's wrist and dragging her to my car.


	22. Haunted : Part Three

**Third Person POV**

Damon walked into Stefan's bedroom, and smirked slightly when he saw Vicki laying on his little brother's bed, earphones in her ears. He could hear the song clearly, and he briefly wondered how it didn't hurt her sensitive newborn ears.

"What are you doing?" he asked once Vicki was aware of his arrival.

She shrugged and sat up. "Just contemplating the next..." she sighed. "Oh, hundred years." her slender legs swung over to the side of the bed and she stared curiously at Damon. "Why did you do it?"

The raven haired man's face twisted into a confused frown. "I was...bored." he shrugged to himself, trying to persuade both Vicki and himself.

Scoffing, she exclaimed, "You did this to me out of boredom?"

He shrugged nonchalantly. "Ah, it's one of the pitfalls of eternity." she nodded sympathetically and groaned, standing up. "Now  _I'm_  bored." she groaned again, ever the drama queen. "And  _all_  I can think about is blood. I just want some blood. I can't think about anything else. Elena's blood, Matt's blood, Caroline's blood." she smirked and it was unseen by Vicki, but Damon's fist clenched in instinctive anger at the mention of the blonde's name. He even managed to surprise himself, and a flicker of emotion escaped through the emotion wall he had thrown up so many times in his mind.

"What is that about?" Vicki's annoyed voice broke Damon out of his stupor and he forced another smirk on his face.

"That'll ease up. You've just been cooped up all day. Let's go!" anyone in their right mind could see idea after idea trickling through Damon's overly creative brain, and he finally decided on a simple destination.

"Where?" her voice echoed as they walked down the stairs and towards the front door.  
The green-eyed sibling stalked forwards as his elder brother said, "Your life was pathetic. Your afterlife doesn't have to be." he smirked, but it fell seconds later when he met the younger's intense glare.

"What are you doing?"

Vicki rolled her eyes behind Damon, getting a bit annoyed with Stefan's counselor like attitude. He was nice and all, but she preferred Damon.

"She's been cooped up in your room all day. She's not Anne Frank." Damon explained, shrugging.

"No...no." Stefan mumbled, and then shook his head, looking frantically to Damon and then to the girl. "Hey hey...now's not the time for this."

"If you're gonna teach her. Teach her." his jacket clad shoulders shrugged. "Show her what it's all about." Damon said.

Stefan huffed and rubbed his temples, glancing at Vicki warily. "She could hurt someone."

The elder chuckled and shook his head. "I'm not taking her to Disneyland. We're going in the front yard. Come on." nudging Stefan out of the way, the two of them went out the front door and into the night.

"Bad idea, Damon!" Stefan called to the pair from the doorway. After a moment's hesitation he came outside and stood behind Vicki, whilst his brother stood in front of her, his normal arrogant smirk plastered on his face. "She's a vampire, Stefan." he said it like it was obvious to everyone. "She should know the perks."

Vicki was obviously interested at that remark. "Like what?"

Damon tilted his head to the side and thought for a split second. A smirk spread across his face, and he said, "Like-" but he was gone a second later, and he appeared behind a baffled Vicki, who looked around in awe. Damon tapped her shoulder and right as she was turned around, he went in front of her again.

"Whoa! How did you do that?" she grinned ear to ear, and Damon grinned back, ignoring his party-pooper of a brother.

"Come on Vicki, live a little. No pun intended."

She chewed on her lip for a moment before grinning and running away into the woods.

Damon gaped at her quickly receding figure and looked to his brother, who was furious. Rubbing the back of his neck, he mumbled. "Uh...my bad."

Meanwhile, Vicki had just came to a halt in the driveway of her home. She smiled, seeing that the light was on, and with pep in her step, she went to the front door. She couldn't open the door, or even go past the threshold. She scowled and called out her brother's name. "Matt?"  
A few seconds later, she saw the door swing open to reveal Matt, looking confused. "Vicki?" he called, peering out onto the dark porch. "Is that you?"

The girl in question took a tentative step forward and smiled. "Hey."

Her brother's face visibly softened and he smiled. "Get in here." he took a step back, giving her room, and she didn't move, not understanding why she couldn't go inside.

He groaned in frustration and stepped outside, pulling his sister to his chest and grinned ear-to-ear, hugging her tightly. Vicki grinned in response and sighed, but stiffened at the smell of the blood whooshing through his veins. "In a minute, I..." she trailed off, not knowing how to explain her predicament to him.

He frowned deeply, looking crestfallen. "Please come inside." at those words, Vicki felt something deep within her click, and she took a step inside. "I've been worried. Thank God you're okay. Where were you, Vic?" she had prepared herself for the barrage of questions on the quick run over here, and she scowled.

"It's no big deal." she sat down on the stool in the small kitchen. "Just drop it already."  
His face was covered in a shocked expression. "Three people were murdered in the woods and the cops were looking for you! They wanna question you!"

Poor Matt couldn't understand why his sister was so careless about what had happened over the past few days, and he wouldn't understand for quite sometime.

"They know where I live." she shrugged, swinging her feet idly.

"Everyone was worried about you." he said again, and she rolled her eyes.

"I'm back now. Just let it go."

Matt, always the stubborn one, gaped at her. "Are you kidding? I had a freakin' search party out lookin' for you while you were off on your crazy drug trip, and you want me to just let it go?!"

"My head hurts!" she whined, laying it down on the table for a brief second before sitting back up.

"You think?" was all Matt could say before the doorbell rang.

He groaned and walked to the door, and opened it to reveal Stefan outside, looking very upset.

Vicki sat in the kitchen, and once she heard Stefan wanted to see her, she immediately said, "Don't let him in. I don't want him in here!"

Her brother's voice got a protective tone, and she repeated her command again. "No, I just don't want him in here."

After a moment, the door was shut on Stefan's face, and he groaned, turning around to call Caroline.

"Hello?" she answered after the fourth ring.

"Hey." he greeted, trying to not sound too worked up as he walked down the street, headed towards the town. "What are you doing?"

Caroline didn't respond for a moment, and he knew her gears were turning in her head. His voice must have been too normal, the question too normal.

"Stefan..." she said quietly, and he heard a door shut in the background. "What's going on?"

"Nothing, nothing." he mumbled. "But hey, do you think you could persuade Elena and Jeremy to go with you to the Halloween party thing tonight?"

"Uh." she started. "I guess, I mean, we were planning on going anyways, but I can ask Jeremy. I'm sure he'd like a break from all the Vicki drama."

Stefan started to agree, when Caroline cut in again. "Wait...she is...handled, right?"

"Yeah, about that..." he trailed off sheepishly and quickly explained the situation to Caroline, and asked her to warn Elena, but instructed either of them to not get too worked up about it.

A sigh was heard on the other line before she agreed, and hung up.

 

**Caroline's POV**

I groaned, hanging up.

Of course Damon couldn't watch Vicki for ten minutes without letting her escape.

I looked through the jack-and-jill bathroom into Jeremy's room, to see him bobbing his head to the music coming from his headphones.

"Elena, don't you think Jeremy should come with us to the Halloween thing tonight?" I asked, turning my attention back to Elena, who was getting dressed in her 'sexy' nurse costume. Bonnie and I decided to be twin witches – Twitches – like on that old Disney channel movie.

I slipped on my purple corset-like top I had borrowed from Bonnie, and turned around to ask Elena to tighten it for me.

"Yeah..." she said a moment later. "He does sort of need to get out of the house." she grabbed the two laces and yanked hard, sending the breath out of my lungs with a gasp.

"Dang Elena," I gasped out. "Easy."

"Sorry." she murmured and tugged one more time before lacing it up. The corset wasn't too tight, but it wasn't loose either.

I glanced into the mirror to see myself and smiled at the sight. I looked pretty decent. I looked at Elena next, and found her tightening her push-up bra straps to make her boobs spill out a bit more.

I shook my head before going into Jeremy's room and tapping him on the shoulder.

He hung up his phone, and looked at me. "Hey, so um, Elena and I were thinking that we should hang out tonight! We could go to the Halloween thing at school!" I smiled hopefully and Jeremy raised an eyebrow.

"Hm." he mused aloud and thought for a moment. "Cool. Sure. Sounds uh...sounds fun. Can't wait." he smiled slightly at me and I smiled before nodding once. Elena walked in a moment later.

"Was that a yes I heard?"

When Jeremy nodded, she squealed. "I know you're upset about Vicki. I heard she called Matt. But you can't be with her. She needs to get better. The best thing you can do for me – I mean you – is let her go."

He scoffed. "What does that even mean, "let her go"? Oh, okay, sure."

"Jer," I interrupted. "I think Elena is trying to say that she thinks you should give Vicki some space so she can get better. That's all."

He glared at me. "Since we're all such experts on letting people go, right?"

I blinked in shock.

"Um..."

"I know you may not see it, but trust me Jer. It's for the best." Elena said as-a-matter of factly.

I felt tears start to pool in my eyes at the thought of my mom. She used to love the Halloween parties. She had fun dressing me up when I was younger. I quickly turned on my heel and went back into Elena's room.

~Later~

I walked in with Elena, who was getting stared at by a bunch of freshman, towards Bonnie, who said she was with Tyler.

"Bonnie!" I called with a grin, jogging over to my friend. She gave me a once over and grinned in response. "We look great!"

I nodded my head in agreement.

"Cider for the ladies!" Tyler smirked, holding two glasses out to us. "It's a Lockwood special." his smirk grew even wider when Elena walked up and took one of the glasses, downing it in one big gulp.

"I'm going to drink until someone is hot enough to make out with." she announced, earning a surprised look from all of us.

"What about Stefan?" I asked, and she shrugged. "He's been getting on my nerves. He won't care. He's been hanging all over Vi- some girl – making sure she's okay and a bunch of other bull." she took the second out of Tyler's hands and gulped that down too.

"Oh, you didn't want that, did you Care?" she looked at me and I shook my head.

"Lightweight." she giggled and chugged down another.

"No she's not." Bonnie interjected. "Last year we were hung over until Thanksgiving! It was terrible."

I groaned in agreement, rubbing my forehead at the memory. "I'm going to head to the grill really fast. I have to go to the bathroom." I announced. "See you guys later?"

Tyler simply shrugged, before turning away and trying to get some of the younger kids to drink his 'famous' spiked punch.

I walked by the haunted house, shivering as I heard screams come from inside. That place always gave me the creeps.

I quietly went into the Grill's bathroom and did my business.

When I came out a few moments later, I saw Damon and Mrs. Lockwood chatting at the bar, so I quickly ducked down behind the divider and pretended to fix the strap on my shoe. I heard them idly chat about the council, which I already knew about, and then she brought up Zack. He still hadn't returned yet. I was afraid he got into trouble, but he emailed me last night telling me he actually had business in West Virginia and he was going to stay there for a while. The word vervain was said, and I immediately perked up, listening closely.

"You know about the vervain?" she gasped, and I rolled my eyes. If she even knew the half of it.

"Well, I'm a Salvatore." Damon said in a charming voice. "Of course I do."

Mrs. Lockwood giggled and I heard a clink of a glass. "Of course."

I stood up and started to walk out, when I heard Damon say, "Hmmm. Cheers."

I heard Mrs. Lockwood excused herself, and suddenly Damon was in front of me. "Hello Blondie." He smirked.

I could smell the alcohol on his breath and I was suddenly thankful it took a lot for vampire to get drunk.

"Damon." I said. "Where's Vicki? Have you found her yet?"

At the mention of her name, he scowled slightly, waving his hand. "It's no big deal, Stefan or I will find her sooner or later."

I gaped at him. "It's no big deal?!"

My retort came out louder than I expected, and Damon grabbed my arm, dragging me out of the restaurant.

"Shh, little Blondie." he chided and pushed me lightly against the brick wall. "Don't get your thong in a wad!"

I furrowed my brows. "How do you know-" it clicked. I could just picture Damon rummaging through my drawers and pulling out one of my few lacy thongs and chuckling to himself. "HEY!" I exclaimed, slapping his arm. "Stay out of my room, you prick!"

He smirked even wider and held up his arms innocently. "Anyways!" he changed the subject quickly. "About Vicki. I heard Jeremy talking to her on the phone. I didn't catch where they were meeting, but he said 'okay I'll meet you there.'" he mimicked Jeremy and I rolled my eyes.

"Ok bye!" I stormed off and he grabbed my arm again, stopping me.

"No, 'thanks Damon?'" his voice went high as he mimicked me and he grinned.

"Nope!" I popped the 'p' and wrenched my arm out of his grasp and started to walk again.

He followed me, matching stride for stride.

"So, wanna go bobbing for apples?" he queried and I rolled my eyes, ignoring him.

"Not with a drawer-stalking douche!" I smirked at him, and he pouted before rolling his eyes.

"Fine."

"Fine." I retorted.

"Good!" he called, as he had stopped following me.

"GOOD." I called back, not bothering to slow my pace.

I went back to the carnival and roamed the strips, simply looking for Vicki or Matt.

"I see you didn't follow Elena's choice of last year's costume." a voice said behind me, and I jumped.

"Oh, Matt."

I smiled. "You scared the crap out of me!"

He chuckled. "Isn't that kind of the point, Care?"

I shrugged. "Have you seen Vicki? I think Jeremy was looking for her."

He nodded. "Oh, yeah! She came home earlier. I'm trying not to smother her, but part of me didn't want to let her out of my sight." he shrugged again, sipping a soda.

"Wait..." my heart thudded nervously. "She's  _here_?"

A confused look passed over his face. "Yeah, you can't miss her. She's a vampire."

" WHAT?" I gaped. "What do you mean she's a vampire? How-"

He laughed, slapping my shoulder lightly. "It is Halloween." My face still had an alarmed expression, so he continued. "It's a  _costume_ , Caroline." his blue eyes peered into mine. "How much have you been drinking?"

"Uh." I stuttered. "Nothing."

"Ri-ight." he shook his head. I saw Jeremy over by the entrance to the Haunted House, and groaned.  _The Haunted House? Really Jer? Just really?_

"Hey, I think I see Jeremy. See ya, bye!" I mumbled before rushing off towards the entrance.


	23. Haunted : Part Four

Previously on Everything Changes...

_I shrugged. "Have you seen Vicki? I think Jeremy was looking for her."_

_He nodded. "Oh, yeah! She came home earlier. I'm trying not to smother her, but part of me didn't want to let her out of my sight." he shrugged._

_"Wait..." my heart thudded nervously. "She's here?"_

_A confused look passed over his face. "Yeah, you can't miss her. She's a vampire."_

_"WHAT?" I gaped. "What do you mean she's a vampire? How-"_

_He laughed, slapping my shoulder lightly. "It is Halloween."_

_My face still had an alarmed expression, so he continued. "It's a costume, Caroline." his blue eyes peered into mine. "How much have you been drinking?"_

_"Uh." I stuttered. "Nothing."_

_"Ri-ight." he shook his head._

_I saw Jeremy over by the entrance to the Haunted House, and groaned. The Haunted House? Really Jer? Just really?_

_"Hey, I think I see Jeremy. See ya, bye!" I mumbled before rushing off towards the entrance._

* * *

As I got closer, I saw that it wasn't him, so I decided to head into the school. Maybe Stefan had better luck finding her.

"Thank God." I sighed in relief when I saw Vicki and Stefan talking by the lockers.

Matt walked up a second later. "What's going on?"

Vicki scowled, but Stefan said, "Hey. Uh, everything's fine." before Vicki could say anything.

Matt raised an eyebrow and Vicki scoffed. "I told you to quit bothering me." she glared at Stefan like he was the bad guy.

"No, Vicki, don't do this!" I pleaded with her, and she plastered on a scared look.

"Matty, he won't leave me alone."

Her brother's face turned menacing. "You need to back off, man."

"Matt...it's – um – it's okay. Stefan's not bothering her, trust me."

He shook his head. "No, it's not okay. What the hell is you guys' problem?"

Meanwhile, Vicki managed to sneak outside.

"Stefan-" I hissed as the boys bickered. "She's gone."

He jerked his thumb to the door and I decided to go after her.

~0~

Jeremy wonders around by the Haunted House entrance, where Vicki said to meet him. He was happy he could elude Caroline so easily. She could be so annoying and clingy sometimes.

Suddenly, a pair of arms caused Jeremy to go stumbling into the foggy attraction. "Vicki?"

He heard a giggle and she hugged him. He hugged her back with a small grin. "You scared the hell out of me!"

Her eyes widened, as his heart race increased, and her throat burned. "Sorry." she managed to mumble. I'm sorry."

She kissed him and dragged him away.

~0~

Bonnie and Damon stood inside Mystic Falls Grill, talking. I don't know if you would want to call it talking really, Damon did asked all the demanding questions, while Bonnie retorted tersely each time.

"Where'd you get that?" he asked her suddenly, his eyes latching onto the crystal – his crystal.

"From a friend." she snapped, crossing her arms.

His eyes narrowed. "Caroline. Of course. You know it's mine, right?"

Bonnie shrugged. "It's not mine to give away. Caroline got it from a friend, and Caroline will be the one to give it to you, if she feels like it."

Damon cocked his head to the side and smirked menacingly. "Or, I could just take it, right now."

His hand darted out and latched around the crystal, and a hissing sound was heard. Damon's hand recoiled back to his side.

The thing had burnt him!

While he was distracted, Bonnie sprinted into the crowd.

~0~

I wondered through the Haunted House, trying not to jump when the Seniors, dressed in costumes, jumped out and tried to scare me.

"Is it really that scary, love?" a deep voice whispered into my ear.

I jumped, my hand flying to my chest. "Jesus, Klaus! What are you trying to do? Give me a heart attack?"

I looked up into his eyes, and he smirked. "No."

I rolled my eyes. "I don't have time for you, I have to find someone."

Quickening my pace, I did my best to disappear in the fog, but I noticed a flash of brown hair, and knew it was probably Vicki and Jeremy. Slipping between the gap, I followed the passage through until I came out around the back of the building, by the buses.

The sound of moaning hit my ears, and I winced, hoping that the two of them weren't going at it already.

Jeremy made a noise. "Okay. Yeah. Ow. You're taking that costume a little to far."

There was silence for a moment, and I walked towards the gap between buses slowly.

"What? What is it? Vicki! Vicki. What the hell?! OH MY GOD." Jeremy cried out in pain, and I started to run. "NO! STOP! Vicki! No! Ah!"

I grabbed a wooden plank off of a pile, and continued towards them, I swung the plank as hard as I could, hitting Vicki in the back.

She snarled, her hand latching around my throat.

"I'm sick and tired of you, Caroline." she threw me hard towards a pile of garbage.

I yelped in pain, and she stalked towards me. Suddenly, a flash of black hair appeared, and Damon slammed her into the bus, much to my surprise.

"Vicki. Stop." he said firmly, but she continued to struggle, her murderous gaze on me.

Klaus sauntered in, his eyes widening as he saw me, in the garbage, and Vicki and Damon against the bus, dark veins snaking under her eyes.

"Go!" Damon commanded. "Get inside, Jeremy! Run!" I managed to push myself up, and grab Jer, who was shocked. I pushed him towards the door.

Vicki brought her knee up, crashing it into his groin, and pushed Damon to the ground.

I felt her hands go around my neck again, and she slammed me against the bus, biting me with her sharp teeth.

I shrieked.

Klaus finally started to realize what was going on, and he grabbed the same piece of wood I had hit her with, and broke in in half, forming a jagged stake. He thrust it into her back, killing her.

I whimpered, feeling her teeth scrape down and out of my neck, the blood flowing from my wound like water from a faucet.

"VICKI!" I heard Jeremy sob, and Damon got up, forcing him back.

My knees sagged, and I pressed hard on my neck, trying to stop the flow. Klaus studied my reaction before biting into his arm, and pushing it against my mouth, forcing me to drink.

I took a few gulps, not really liking the metallic taste of vampire blood.

I pushed him away, and looked to Damon and Jeremy. "Get him out of here!" I called to them, pushing myself up, avoiding Klaus' blue-green eyes.

Damon and Jeremy left, leaving Klaus and I with Vicki's body.

"I'll call Stefan." I mumbled, feeling awkward.

"How long have you known?" he asked softly.

"For a while. I'm on vervain." I added as an afterthought.

He nodded, not saying too much else as I called Stefan and explained what happened and where we were.

~0~

Stefan, Damon, Elena and I all sat in her living-room.

Tears trickled down Elena and I's face, and for once, they seemed real.

"You did this!" I snarled, glaring at Damon. "This is your fault!"

"You confuse me for someone with remorse." he got up to leave, and I followed him, my anger flaring.

We stood in the hallway. I raised my hand to hit his back, but he whirled around, grabbing my fist. "None of this matters to me, Blondie. None of it."

I sniffled, tears still falling. "It matters, and you know it." I sniffled again, slapped him as hard as I could, and went back into the living-room before he could retaliate.

"I want to see my brother." Elena demanded, getting up. "C'mon Care."

I nodded, following her up the stairs into Jeremy's bedroom. Damon seemed to have already left.

"Do you understand what happened?" I asked softly, sitting on the other side of Jeremy's bed.

"No." he mumbled, staring into space. "I know what I saw, but it doesn't make any sense."

"She was going to kill Care." Elena pointed out, not even trying to soften the blow.

"Now she's dead!" his body shook, and he buried his head into his sister's shoulder.

"Why does everyone have to die on me?" he mumbled. Elena didn't respond, simply shh-ed him and stroked his back.

I got up and headed downstairs, not wanting to ruin their moment.

I went outside, and saw Stefan on the porch.

"How's Jeremy?" he asked, even before I had gotten out the door.

"He's a mess." I frowned, sitting next to him. "It sucks he has to go through this. His parents just died, I mean, I know they weren't close, sense they constantly worked, but still. This is crazy." I sighed. "Why can't life be fair, Stefan?!"

He shrugged, smiling grimly. "That's the million dollar question, Care."

Elena walked outside. "Can you make him forget?"

"If I did it, there's no guarantee it would work...because of who I am."

She crossed her arms and pouted. "You are what you eat." she mumbled.

"I'll do it." Klaus stepped up onto the front porch, meeting my eyes for a moment, the shadows making him look dark and mysterious.

"Don't let him inside, Elena." Stefan stood up, causing the swing to move gently back and forth.

"It's what I want, Stefan." she insisted. "Please come in Klaus."

He smirked for a brief second. "What do you want him to know?"

She thought for a minute, the silence oddly comforting. "I want you to tell him that Vicki left town and she's not coming back. That he shouldn't look for her or worry about her." she gnawed on her lip. "He's gonna miss her, but he knows it's for the best."

Klaus nodded once, suddenly solemn. He went inside, and Elena came over to lean against the rail. Stefan sat back down.

"Part of me wishes I'd forget too, sometimes." I admitted, breaking the silence.

"Me too." Elena mumbled, staring into the front yard.

"Is that what you guys want?" Stefan asked.

I nodded. "I don't want to feel like this. I don't want to be scared of vampires, I don't want to wake up knowing my mom's dead, and that I'm not."

My friend didn't respond. Klaus came back out. "It's done."

"Thank you." Elena smiled softly, and went inside.

~0~

Klaus walked me to my car, which was parked in the road, across the street from the Gilbert home.

"Do you think she made the right choice?" he suddenly asked me.

I shrugged. "I don't think it was her choice to make." I pulled my keys out of my purse. "But it needed to be done."

He bobbed his head in agreement. "Does it bother you? Living with vampires? Knowing I'm a vampire?"

I hope they won't hurt me, you mean. A voice whispered, but I ignored it.

He smirked to himself, and opened my door. "Good night, Caroline."

I shyly smiled back. "Good night."

"Sleep tight, don't let the vampires bite." he winked at me and shut my door, and he was gone.

 


	24. 162 Candles : Part One

_Previously on Everything Changes..._

_He bobbed his head in agreement. "Does it bother you? Living with vampires? Knowing I'm a vampire?"_

_I furrowed my brows. "Sometimes, it scares me, but I don't think any of you will hurt me, without a reason."_

_I hope they won't hurt me, you mean. A voice whispered, but I ignored it._

_He smirked to himself, and opened my door. "Good night, Caroline."_

_I shyly smiled back. "Good night."_

_"Sleep tight, don't let the vampires bite." he winked at me and shut my door, and he was gone._

* * *

**~A Few Mornings Later, in the Salvatore Boarding House~**

I was sitting in my room, drinking a big cup of coffee, when I heard a thump downstairs. Now, normally I wouldn't think much of it, but this was a house of vampires. And most vampires I knew, were quiet – like, creepy quiet.

So, that led me to get scared-curious, and I went down stairs. A book was on the floor, but I couldn't find Stefan – or Damon – anywhere. And that kind of bothered me.

As I headed back upstairs, I heard voices coming faintly from Stefan's room, which was down the hall from mine.

"I told you, her name is Elena." Stefan said to the other person.

"Let's hope she's better than the  _last girl_  you got all sprung over!" a girl's voice replied.

"You didn't even know Katherine." I heard him retort defensively.

The girl laughed. "Cause if I did, I'd kick her ass. Little bitch. Speaking of... where's Damon?"

"Stefan?" I called. "Are you up here?"

"Ooh!" I heard the same voice squeal. "Who's  _that_? Elenaa?" she teased

_I'm definitely not Elena..._

"Yeah Caroline," he called back, then stuck his head outside the door. "Come here, I want you to meet someone."

I stared down the hallway, wondering who the squealer was. I decided to be polite and introduce myself, and I went inside.

"Oh my god..." I saw the girl, who was tall, curvy, and blonde, mouth at Stefan, obviously shocked at my appearance.

I narrowed my eyes, wondering what her deal was, but didn't say anything.

"Hi." I smiled. "I'm Caroline. Zach is my godfather."

She walked over to me, and hugged me. "Aw, Hi!" she pulled away, leaving me shocked. "I'm Lexi, Stefan's best friend!"

"Uh, hi." I forced another smile onto my face.

"Did you know it's Stefan's birthday?" she asked, her eyes sparkling.

My mouth dropped open, and I glared at Stefan. "No, I didn't."

He rubbed the back of his neck. "Surprise."

I shook my head at him. "What are you doing for your birthday?"

"Yeah, Stefan?" Lexi leaped onto Stefan's bed, landing with an oof. "What  _are_  we doing? It's not everyday a guy turns a hundred and sixty-two!"

He groaned. "Really?"

She smirked. "Oh yeah."

~ Later, at the Sheriff's department. ~

"Where did Vicki say she was going?" Sheriff Bennett asked me, studying my reaction.

"She didn't." I replied, just like my friends had.

We all had rehearsed the story. Vicki just left, for a fresh start, and told us not to worry about her.

"Did she tell Matt where she was going?"

I shook my head. "Matt told me she told Jeremy to tell him that she was leaving town." I shrugged.

The questions continued, who was with her, how was she acting, and so on.

Finally, I could leave, and I ran into Klaus outside of the police station.

"Hello, Caroline." he smiled, studying my face intently. "How are you?"

I shrugged and kept on walking. "I hate lying to Bonnie's dad." I mumbled, glancing over my shoulder.

He was following me, like I figured he would. "I don't think he suspected anything though, Jeremy had no memory at all. He knew what you wanted him to know." my face was blank. "Thank you for doing that for them."

He nodded once, silent. We continued walking down the sidewalk, not saying anything.

"I do believe Jeremy would not have taken her death very well. Not many people handle knowledge of vampires – or death – in a good way." he murmured.

"I know." sighing, I pulled out my car keys. "I'm going to head home. See you later."

~0~

When I arrived home, Damon was still no where to be found, but I found Lexi in the den, scribbling away on a notepad.

"Hi Lexi." I greeted. "What are you doing?"

She glanced up from the paper and smiled. "Hi Caroline." she flashed a mischevious smile, and pointed to the paper. She quickly wrote, ' _I'm planning Stefan's party_.'

"But I thought-" Lexi, tapped her ear, and then held her finger to her lips. Stefan must be inside.

I sat next to her on the couch, and read what she had so far.

"Is Damon still not here?" I asked, after reading over the short list of booze, music, and venues.

"He was here, acting all Edward Cullen on me." she rolled her eyes. "He left though, thankfully." she smirked suddenly. "Why? Do you  _like_  him?"

My mouth dropped open, but my stomach flipped. "Ew!" I exclaimed. "No way!"

She raised an eyebrow but didn't say anything.

"So Elena stopped by earlier." she laughed to herself. "I went to the door in a towel."

I must have looked confused, because she clarified. "I had just gotten out of the shower, and Stefan was in the shower. She was confused, to say the least."

I laughed, picturing her face at another girl at 'her man's' house in a towel.

**Third Person POV**

"Are we any closer?" Damon asked, a little too curious.

Sheriff Bennett rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "I think our facts are wrong...We've always believed that vampires can only come out in the dark...what if that's changed?" he looked fearful, and Damon had to hide an arrogant grin...oh, if only he knew.

"Is that even possible?" he mocked shock, but played his role well.

"We've exhausted every other option. We have to consider that maybe the bloodsucker will be walking around during the day...right in front of us."

"Hmmm." Damon mused, shifting in the chair. "What's the next step?"

The Sheriff shrugged. "We're now looking at anyone new to town, since the deaths began. The concil's hoping that will turn up a suspect or two."

"Of course, I'll do  _anything_  I can to help!" Damon offered, his smirk hidden still.

**Caroline's POV**

I was laying on my bed when Bonnie walked in, surprising me.

"Bonnie!" I exclaimed with a smile. "What are you doing here?"

"Why haven't you called me back?" she placed her hands on her hips, and sat on the corner of my bed.

"Sorry." I apologized. "I was being interrogated by your dad all morning."

She raised an eyebrow. "He was questioning  _you_? Why?"

I shrugged. "I guess just branching out to everyone."

She nodded thoughtfully, smiling after a moment. "I have something to show you!"

"What?" I sat up, looking at her curiously.

"Okay so," she grabbed my pillow, clutching it to her chest. "I haven't show Elena this, because she's all pouty, and Stefan and her broke up."

My mouth dropped open a little. No wonder I hadn't seen Stefan hanging around with Lexi!

Bonnie ripped a hole into my pilow, and dumped all the feathers onto my bed.

"Hey!" I exclaimed. "That's my favorite pillow!"

"Be patient, Caroline." she commanded, and I sat back.

"Ok, fine."

"You have to swear to secrecy." she said, holding up her pinky.

"You should know I can keep a secret." I insisted, but locked my pinky around hers and said, "I swear."

"There's no open windows, right?" Bonnie asked, glancing at my window.

I nodded, confused. "Where are you going with this?"

~0~

**Third Person POV**

Lexi got up to go bother Stefan, who was pouting and writing in his room. As soon as she was up the stairs, Damon darted into the room, and looked at her notebook. She had circled  _Mystic Grill, Tonight, Booze, Music & Dancing_.

Bingo. His plan just snapped into place with these small details. This would definitely play out like he wanted it to.

~0~

**Caroline's POV**

"Gram's just showed me this." Bonnie told her. "Don't freak, okay?"

I nodded, and suddenly, a feather levitated, inches from my face. "Oh my god." I gasped in shock. "No way." I reached out to touch it, and suddenly, all the feathers were floating in the air.

"It's true, Care." she smiled wide. "Everything my Grams told me – it's true!" she let the feathers fall, and then smiled. "I'm a witch."

"I know." I said, grinning.

"Wait." her eyes widened. "You know?"

My eyes widened, and I cursed inwardly. "I mean, I had a feeling your Grams wasn't crazy, you felt so many witchy vibes, it had to be true!"

"Oh!" she smiled, obviously believing my cover-up.

**Damon's POV**

"Heyy Elena!"I grinned widely at the girl, who was sitting on her front porch swing. "Wanna plan your man's birthday party?"

She raised an eyebrow at me and shook her head, sniffling. "No. We broke up."

"Awwww." I jutted out my bottom lip. "He's crazy about you girl! Be a doll and plan it!"

she thought for a moment, then shook her head again. "No."

'"Aw, come on. All you have to do," I smiled charmingly. "Is tell all your friends that there's a party at the Grill tonight, and they're invited. You're a popular girl, right? I'm sure you have  _tons_  of friends."

Elena groaned. "Fine."


	25. 162 Candles : Part Two

_Previously on Everything Changes.._ _._

_"Awwww." I jutted out my bottom lip. "He's crazy about you girl! Be a doll and plan it!"_

_She thought for a moment, then shook her head again. "No."_

_'"Aw, come on. All you have to do," I smiled charmingly. "Is tell all your friends that there's a party at the Grill tonight, and they're invited. You're a popular girl, right? I'm sure you have tons of friends."_

_Elena groaned. "Fine."_

* * *

I smirked triumphantly, and turned on my heel. "Thanks, Gilbert." I called over my shoulder, still grinning.

Elena didn't reply, simply rolled her eyes at me and mumbled something so low, that even my vampire senses couldn't pick up on it.

**Caroline's POV**

I was headed out to my car, when Damon pulled in.

"Hello, Blondie." he smirked, climbing out.

"Damon." I replied, rolling my eyes.

He was at my side in an instant, staring down at me with his intense gaze. "I'd like a favor from you." he said.

I cocked an eyebrow and broke his gaze, digging in my purse for my keys. "Why should I do anything for you?"

Damon chuckled lowly. "I would say because I'm an old vampire and can break any bone in your body if I pleased, but I know that wouldn't do anything." he paused. "But I'm saying it anyways. Blondie, do me this favor, and  _maybe,_ I won't do something rash." he shrugged, his smirk still there.

I sighed, still not finding my keys. "What, Damon?"

His grin widened and he leaned against my car. "You're going to help me solve this town's little vampire problem." he trailed off. "And- I want my crystal back." his long fingers tapped my chin, until I was looking at him. "I know you took it from Vicki's."

I scoffed. "Bonnie has it."

He nodded. "I know. Get it from her."

I laughed, right in his face. "She's my best friend, and you...well you're you! No. Get it yourself."

His eyes narrowed at me, and I huffed in frustration, realizing my keys were on my bed.

I didn't say anything more when I headed back inside, I simply left him standing here, a scowl creasing his forehead.

**Third Person POV**

Damon strode into Stefan's room, where Lexi and Stefan were talking about Elena. He wasn't surprised, really, Stefan always was stuck on Katherine's look-a-like.

"Funny you should ask!" he said in response to Lexi's, "What are we doing tonight?"

The curvy blonde raised an eyebrow at Stefan's older brother. "Well I wasn't asking you."

He shrugged in response. "There's a party at the grill. You'll love it."

Stefan scoffed. "I don't want a birthday party."

The elder raised an eyebrow. "Well it's not for  _you_. It's a  _party_  party. No one's gonna know it's your birthday. And..." his eyes danced with mischief. "Elena's throwing it."

Stefan's face flashed with emotion for a second, before carefully concealing it from his brother. Lexi stared at Stefan hard, gauging his reaction, before her gaze rested on Damon.

"Stay away from her." he snarled, wanting to tackle his brother and throw him across the room.

"We're friends." Damon held up his hands innocently, trying to seem like a good little boy. "It's cool." His brother didn't even seem to relax, so Damon stopped even trying, and cut to the chase. "It's important for the town to see us out and about like normal folk. We need to  _blend_."

Lexi rolled her eyes, not buying Damon's act for one second. She sipped her blood from the blood-bag, when he looked at her. "I prefer mine at 98.6."

**Caroline's POV**

I arrived home, carefully unloading groceries I had just purchased. When I had put everything in its' place, I sat on my bed, and answered Bonnie's texts.

_Bonnie: You don't think I'm a freak now, do you? :(_

_Caroline: No! Of course not! (: I don't understand one thing though. If your Grams told you to keep a secret, why did you tell me?_

_Bonnie: Caroline Forbes! You are my best friend! I can't keep secrets from you! :)_

_Caroline: But you didn't tell Elena..._

_Bonnie: …_

_~0~_

**Later, at Mystic Grill**

I was sitting in my booth, alone, waiting for Bonnie to get back from the restroom. I had decided to go to Elena's party. One, because it was Stefan's birthday, and two, because I really needed to get out of the house. I seriously wanted a break from all the drama. It was worse than living in a soap opera sometimes.

"Hello Caroline!" Damon cooed, sliding into the seat across from me. "Do you have my crystal?"

I raised an eyebrow. "You mean the necklace? Bonnie's?" he nodded once, and I scoffed. "Yeah, uh, no."

Damon growled under his breath and glared at me. "Of course you don't."

He got up and stormed off, probably to drown his sulkiness in a bottle of bourbon.

Bonnie returned and looked at me in confusion. "Woah, who pissed you off?"

I made a face, raking my hand through my blonde hair. "Damon freaking Salvatore, that's who!"

"Stefan's older brother?" she furrowed her brows. "What did he do?"

"I guess he gave Vicki that necklace." I gestured to the one around her neck. "And he keeps trying to get me to get it for him!"

"He wants this?" Bonnie picked up the amber crystal and raised an eyebrow. "Grams says this belongs to me. Something about a talisman or something."

"Really?" I nibbled on my bottom lip, thinking. "God knows what he wants it for."

 _Probably for some evil plan of his..._ I mused to myself.

Little did I know, it was going to be a large part of his plan, in the long run. Meanwhile, Damon left the Grill, sneaking out one of the side doors leading into the alleyway.

**Damon's POV**

I watched in amusement as a younger couple, probably Elena's age, madeout in the dark alleyway, obviously trying to hide.

_Perfect._

I sped forward and sunk my teeth into the boy's neck, taking in one gulp of his blood before pulling away.  _Full of alcohol anyways._  I rolled my eyes, grabbing the screaming girl's shoulders. I stared into her eyes for a moment, and she grew silent.

**Caroline's POV**

I danced with Lexi and Stefan, laughing and pretty much having a great time, until Damon arrived.

_Not him again!_

"Wow! She smiles!" he looked me up and down, and then glanced over to Stefan. "He smiles too! Alert the media!" he grinned cheekily.

"You really haven't given us many reasons to be happy lately, Damon." I retorted.

His bottom lip jutted out. "Oh, you're right. Poor Stefan persecute throughout eternity...does it get tiring being so annoying?"

I scoffed and laughed at the same time. "It flares up in the presence of psychopaths."

He pressed a hand to his chest, and I saw Lexi drag Stefan to the pool table out of the corner of my eye. "Ouch! Well consider this psychopath's feelings hurt!"

Elena stormed in now, shoving me aside and glaring daggers up into Damon's amused face. "What did you do to my brother?"

Damon raised an eyebrow. "I'm going to need a less vague question."

"You know what you did!" she snapped, glaring up at him.

"Elena." I interrupted. "Are you talking about when-"

A smooth British voice interrupted me. "I wiped his memory?"

She whirled around and looked at him. "He was fine until earlier, when Damon came over!"

"Wait..." I looked to Damon. "You went over to Elena's?"

His eyes drifted across my face, and he grinned wolfishly. "Maybe I did."

Klaus tapped my shoulder, and beckoned me to follow him over to the bar. "I need to talk to you." he said lowly. "Alone?"

I stared up into his face, shocked to find that his usual little smirk wasn't there. "Right now?" I queried, looking to Stefan and Lexi, still at the pool table.

He glanced towards the exit, and back at me. "I'll let you know when."

I frowned, and he disappeared within a blink of an eye.

Lexi pranced up to the bar, dragging Elena with her. Elena looked a bit annoyed, but she perked up when she saw they were headed to the alcohol.

"Hey Caroline!" Elena greeted, surprisingly friendly. I smiled and said hello, not missing her flirty look she sent back to Stefan.

A body bumped into me, and I noticed Bonnie stumble forwards, looking tipsy.

_Bonnie, drunk? This is new..._

I grabbed a hand to steady her. "Are you okay?"

Her brown eyes got wide. "I slim – I'm slipped. I slipped." she gurgled, her eyes glazed over a bit.

"Hammered, aren't we?" Matt came up beside me and looked down at Bonnie.

"Can you take me home?" she stared up at Matt, who chewed on his lip for a moment, thinking. Then he nodded, ushering her outside.

What happened after that, happened fast.

We hear the front doors slam open, and Sheriff Bennett walks in with a petite blonde girl, who was trembling like a leaf, her wide eyes scanning the room. Suddenly, I follow her finger to Lexi and Damon, who were both at the bar. The sheriff briskly walked up to Lexi, and injected her with vervain.

"Stefan!" I called out, in shock.

 _Oh my god._  I saw him mouth, and he tried to push his way towards the crowd to help his friend.

Mr. Bennett carefully ushered the barely conscious Lexi out of the Grill.

 _They were going to kill her!_  I realized in shock, and I was following Stefan, trying to push through the crowd and through the door.

A loud thump was heard, and suddenly, the officer preventing our exit, rushed to his friends, and we slipped through, Stefan shooting me a scared look.

Damon suddenly appeared, and stabbed a wooden stake into her back.

"Oh my god." Stefan breathed, in shock.

~0~

Stefan was pacing outside our house, his fists clenched.

"Stefan!" I called, getting out of my car and jogging over to him.

"He killed her." his voice was thick. "He chased Zach away, killed Tanner, killed and turned Vicki, killed Alyssa..." he trailed off, and I saw a tear fall to the ground in the light of the moon. "I have to kill him."

My eyes widened. "No!" I said, before I could think. "You can't do that!"

He whirled around, coming at me quickly, causing me to scramble back, falling against a tree. "Why are you trying to save him? Caroline, he's never gonna change!"

His green eyes were cloudy with pain and anger, and he looked drunk.

"Stefan." I said quietly, looking into his eyes. This man was my older brother – way older brother, actually - "I'm not trying to save anyone, but you! Imagine if I had to live with just Damon! Or if he killed you, and tried to make a move on Elena!"

Stefan mumbled something, and I could have sworn he said,  _He'd make a move on you, not her._  But I was so unsure, I didn't comment on it. "Please." I continued.

He took a step away from me, his forehead creased. "I don't know."

A whoosh was heard, and he was gone. I groaned in anger, and kicked a rock on the driveway.

"He wouldn't kill his only sibling, love." Klaus stepped out of the shadows, causing my heart to jump.

"Are you sure?"

He nodded once. "I've known the Salvatore brothers before they were vampires." he explained, not coming any closer. "They have a tight bond. They would do anything for each other."

I locked my car, shoving my keys into my purse. "That was then." I glanced at Klaus. "But what about now?"


	26. History Repeating : Part One

_Previously on Everything Changes..._

_"_ _He wouldn't kill his only sibling, love." Klaus stepped out of the shadows, causing my heart to jump._

_"_ _Are you sure?"_

_He nodded once. "I've known the Salvatore brothers before they were vampires." he explained, not coming any closer. "They have a tight bond. They would do anything for each other."_

_I locked my car, shoving my keys into my purse. "That was then." I glanced at Klaus. "But what about now?"_

* * *

~A Few Days Later~

Bonnie and I were sitting in class, while our teacher droned on about measuring things with the sun's shadow.

Halfway through, I pulled out my journal and flipped open to a blank page.

_Dear Diary,_

_It's me again! I haven't been writing as much as Zach wanted – wants – me to, but it's hard! Some nights, like the last couple of nights, have been so...strange. I wonder if it's even slightly possible to get thoughts onto paper, especially thoughts like mine._

_Stefan is still really upset about Lexi, and he hasn't spoken to Damon OR me that much. I don't know why he's taking it out me too, but I guess we all have our own ways to deal with loss._

_The night of Lexi's death, Klaus came to me and we spoke – well, he spoke and I slowly backed towards the house – and told me about Stefan and Damon when they were younger._

_From what he told me, they were best friends once, and always hanging out. He told me a bit about Katherine, but not too much about Chandra, whoever she is. I'm guessing Damon and him have more history then they let on. I tried to ask Stefan about it, but he asked me to leave, and I had to admit, it was seriously annoying. I mean like, c'mon. I didn't kill your best friend! Your sorry excuse for a brother did! I'd love to talk and beat some sense into Damon, but I don't want to push him too far._

Bonnie suddenly shot up, gasping, and I jumped, leaving a black squiggle across the page.

She seemed to realize everyone was looking at her, even the teacher, and she smiled nervously at the teacher, before looking at the others. "What are you looking at? Turn around."

Bonnie stared in fear to the girl was sitting next to her, and she screamed. My heart raced in my chest, and the world around me grew dark, before I shot up in bed, screaming as well.

_That was so bizarre._

I rolled out of bed, rubbing my eyes. I glanced over at my journal, which was sitting open on my nightstand. I narrowed my eyes and picked it up, staring at it in confusion.

There, on the page, were the exact words I wrote in my dream, and it even had a little squiggle at the end to match. My heart thumped in my chest, and I dropped it quickly, stumbling away from it.

_What the hell?_

I ran out into the hallway. "Stefan?" I called, walking down the hall. "I know you're not talking to me, but-"

Damon's door burst open, and I stumbled back, jumping again.

"He's out." he said, and raised an eyebrow at me. "Nice bedhead, Blondie."

I felt my cheeks grow warm, and I ran a hand through my knotty hair.

"Whatcha need?" he stepped into the hallway and leaned against the wall, staring down at me.

"You're not Stefan." I scoffed. "And, I'm still disgusted with you, so bye!"

I turned on my heel to walk away, when he appeared in front of me.

_Damn vampire speed._

"What's wrong?" his blue eyes narrowed again, and he studied my face.

"It's nothing." I insisted, sidestepping him. When I went into my room, there he was, laying on my bed, hands behind his head.

"Damoonnn!" I whined. "Go away."

"Not until you tell me what's wrong."

I rolled my eyes. "No. Now, I need to get ready for school." I walked over and dared myself to pull him up by the arm, and push him out the door. "Shoo."

Much to my own shock, he didn't protest again, simply smirked down at me, and let me be.

Later, at school, I saw Bonnie and Elena sitting on a picnic bench talking.

"Cause I think I'm being haunted!" Bonnie mumbled to her, looking bothered and restless.

Elena's eyes widened.

 _She must have told her about being a witch..._  I realized.  _But what does that have to do with haunted?_

I pushed my curly blonde hair out of my way, and sat on the free space. "What's going on?"

Elena immediately shut up, looking to Bonnie, and then to me.

"It's fine." she insisted. "She knows."

"You're being haunted?" I asked, now that Elena wasn't freaking out. "By who?"

"I had this really strange dream last night." my friend explained. "I was sitting in class..."

She explained her dream, which was ridiculously similar to mine.

"When I woke up, I was back in class, like I had never left to follow the girl – Emily -"

I blinked rapidly, staring at the table. "Did everyone in the class look at you? And you were like,  _what are you looking at? Turn around?_  And then, you looked at one of the girls next to you, and screamed?"

Bonnie's eyes were as big as saucers. "How'd you know that?"

I gulped, looking at her. "Because I had the same dream." Elena was looking at each of us, her eyes narrowed. "Minus the Emily part, of course."

Our warning bell rang, and we all got up, shocked into silence. "What do I have to do with Emily?" I wondered aloud.

Bonnie's eyes were still wide as she shrugged. "I don't know. I'll talk to Gram about it though."

I smiled thankfully and we all went into class.

Once we were seated in our history class – where Mr. Tanner used to teach, a man probably in his mid thirties walked in. Setting his books down, his eyes scanned the class.

"Good morning everyone." he smiled. "Alrighty."

I glanced back at Bonnie, who looked uneasy.  _Are you okay?_  I mouthed.

She shrugged in response, and I heard the teacher continue.

"Alaric Saltzman." he chuckled quietly. "It's a mouthful...I know." he scribbled his name onto the board and turned back to us. "Doesn't exactly roll off the tongue. Saltzman is of German origins. My family emigrated here in 1755 to Texas. I, however, was born and raised in Boston. Now the name Alaric belongs to a very dead great-grandfather I will never be able to thank enough. You'll probably want to pronounce "Alaric" but it's ..."Alaric", okay. So, you can call me Rick. I'm your new history teacher."

The rest of history continued on as usual, and I found that I like Mr. - Alaric – much more then Mr. Tanner.

**Third Person POV**

Jeremy was in Mr. Saltzman's class, speaking of his grades, when a glint on his hand caught Jeremy's eyes.

"That's a cool ring." Jeremy studied it, then smiled and picked up the packet of extra-credit information.

"Oh, thanks." Alaric fumbled with the ring around his finger. "It was my father's. A little garish, but family." he shrugged. "You know." gesturing to the packet in his student's hand, he continued. "You have a week."

Jeremy nodded and went to his next class.

Somewhere else in the school, Bonnie passes by Matt.

"Hey." Matt smiles, and nods to Bonnie.

"Hey, what is that?" Bonnie replied, running her hand through her long dark hair.

His brows creased. "What is what?"

Bonnie shrugged. "The 'hey'. That's two heys. Is that all you're going to say?"

Matt still looked confused. "What's wrong with hey?"

She walked over to Matt, and pulled him over to the side. "You took a drunk me back to my house, spent the night in my bed, and when I woke up, you were gone! And now all you say is hey? I mean yeah, I may be over thinking it's just-" Bonnie sighed.

"I heard your dad and I knew he'd be pissed to find me, so I snuck out to keep us both out of trouble." Bonnie still chewed on her lip, bothered by Emily's appearances, not just Matt. "Are you sure you're okay?"

She nodded in response. "Sorry. I have a lot of...stuff...going on and it's just."

Matt pulled her in for a friendly hug. "You'll figure it out Bon, you always do."

**Caroline's POV**

I stalked over to Stefan, who was seated at the picnic tables. He was staring after someone whom I assumed was Elena.

"You weren't in class..." I said quietly, sitting down across from him.

"Yeah." he replied, sounding upset.

"A simple, 'hey, I didn't go and kill my only sibling' would have been great." I raised an eyebrow, and looked at him. "What am I missing?"

"I'm quitting school." he raked a hand through his hair. "I'm backing off from Elena, keep my distance. It's the right thing for me to do."

I furrowed my brows. "What the hell, Stefan?" I scoffed. "You like Elena, right?"

He nodded, looking crestfallen.

"Then be with her! She wants to be with you, then let her! She knows the risks and if something happens, then it does!"

"It's gonna be better this way, Care." he wouldn't meet my gaze.

"Yeah, you just keep telling yourself that." I got up quickly, and stormed away.

"Okay, last chance!" I heard an annoyingly familiar voice say. I turned towards the parking lot and saw Damon and Bonnie.

I stayed away, watching curiously. Bonnie looked annoyed, but I knew Damon wouldn't try anything _here_. Or at least I hoped.

_Damon wasn't backing off!_

I briskly walked over to them. "Harassing my friends now, Damon?"

He smirked down at me, a glint of annoyance in his eyes. "I will get that crystal, Forbes. Even if I have to wait for Emily to give it to me herself."

Both of our eyes widened, and his smirk widened.

"Tell her a deal's a deal, next time you see her."

He opened the door for me, and I got in, eying him warily. Bonnie went around and got into the passenger side of my car.

We drove in silence for a moment.

"Pull over!" I glanced at her.

"Wha-?"

"Now!" she exclaimed again, and I pulled over next to a field.

Bonnie jumped out of my car, looking furious. "Woah! Where are you going?"

I saw her jerk her necklace away from her neck, and I winced.

"Are you okay?" I started to get out, when I saw Bonnie lean back and chucked it into a field.

"I am now." she sighed and sunk back into the passenger seat. "All my frustrations and problems were because of that  _thing_. Can't believe I didn't do that sooner."

"What's your Grams gonna say?" I asked.

She shut the door and I pulled back onto the road. "She's not the one being haunted by a ghost."

I chuckled. "Okay then."

We drove towards her Gram's in silence. "I think we should get Elena to tell Stefan about Damon threatening you."

"Elena won't be any good." Bonnie insisted, fidgeting in her seat. "Why can't you tell him?"

I sighed, drumming my fingers on the steering wheel. "He's kind of upset with me too, and since he has a romantic interest with Elena..."

"Okay, I'll call her..." Bonnie pulled out her phone and dialed her number.

They chatted for a moment, and I noticed her tense out of the corner of my eye. "What?"

"What?" I asked, my eyes not leaving the road.

"Over a necklace?" Bonnie mimicked Elena's voice. "No way, he's not being very good to me right now."

I sighed.  _Wow, some friend she is..._

"I can try to talk to Stef when I get home?" I offered. "I might get him to listen if I tell him that he's scaring me too or something."

I pulled in front of Bonnie's Gram's home and stopped. "I'll let you know what I find."

"Thanks Care." she pushed off her seat belt and smiled at me. "Love ya!"

I smiled. "Love you too, have fun with your Gram."

"I will!" She called through the shut door, and she waved over her shoulder before jogging to the front steps.

I drove away from the curb and headed home.

~0~

"Stefan?" I pushed our front door shut. "You home yet?"

I threw my keys into the dish on the bookshelf and walked down into the den, plopping down on the couch. "I need to talk to you."

I waited for a few moments, when I heard people come down the stairs.

_Damon and Klaus..._

"Hey, have you seen Stef?" I got up and made my way over to the stairs.

Klaus and Damon's gazes met each others before Klaus spoke up. "He's not in his room, if that's what your asking, love."

Damon chuckled at my annoyed look, and my temper flared. "And you!" I scowled. "Stop tormenting Bonnie. If you've always wanted her necklace this bad, you shouldn't have given it to Vicki in the first place!" I rolled my eyes and pushed past them, headed up the stairs.

When I got into my room, I pulled out my phone and dialed Stefan's number.

" _Please leave a message after the beep..."_

"Stefan." I chewed on my lip. "He threatened Bonnie, Stef. I got some necklace from Vicki, and gave it to Bonnie for Halloween, and he wants it back. Please. I need to talk to you."

I hung up and threw my phone at my bed. "Stubborn b-"

My door flew open, and I whirled around. "What does Damon want with the necklace?"

Klaus stalked forwards, and I stepped back.

He repeated his question and I snorted in disbelief.

" _I don't know_  that's why I just called and asked Stefan!" I threw my hands up. "You all are so secretive and conniving. Ugh!"

A smirk played over his face, and I noticed the stubble on his cheeks and chin.

 _Stop noticing the little details, Caroline!_  I chided myself.  _He's Damon's friend. And whoever's Damon's friend, should not be yours!_ I was thankful for the logical side of my brain, and I moved back, putting my bed between us.

"You know more then you let on." he murmured. "You'll tell me, some day."

I scoffed and he was gone.

"Care?" I heard Stefan jog up the stairs. "Was that Klaus?"

I nodded, and sat on my bed. "Damon's tormenting Bonnie over some stupid necklace. It has to do with her heritage I think. I guess one of her ancestors owned it back when you and Damon lived here."

His green eyes got a faraway look, and he sat on my bed across from me. "Her name was Emily. She was Chandra Ambrose's handmaid, Katherine's friend, and a witch."

"I didn't know you were positive about Bonnie being a witch." I murmured, furrowing my brows. "If you know for sure, and I know for sure, then Damon must know!"

I looked at Stefan. "And for some reason, he really really  _wants_  that necklace!"

"What does it look like?" he asked, deep in thought.

"It looks really vintage, iron setting with -"

"Amber crystal?" he cut in.

I nodded.

"It belonged to Chandra for a while, then Katherine got a hold of it. I'm almost positive that one of the girls got it from Emily, which must mean..."

He stood up quickly and walked over to my door.

"What?"

He glanced back at me. "I don't know for sure yet, but I'll find out. I'm going to talk to Damon."

I stood up as well. "Will he tell you?"

His face looked grim. "I'll get it out of him."

I decided to go to Elena's to hang out with her and Bonnie. I had nothing to eat here, and nothing better to do.

I honestly wanted Zach to come back home, and not be so afraid of Damon. He shopped better, parented better, and cooked better.

I sat in my car, still in my driveway, and decided to call him.

"H-hello?" his familiar voice drifted through the phone and I sighed.

"It's me, Caroline."

"Oh Caroline." I heard rustling in the background. "I'm glad you're alright."

"When are you coming home, Zach? You are  _my_  foster parent after all."

He swallowed noisily. "I know. But...I've found someone, Caroline. She really likes me, and I really like her. I know that I should be back there...but..."

_You've got to be kidding me._

"No buts!" I heard myself say. "My mom put  _my raising_  in your care! And you're going to leave me with  _vampires_  to raise my own self? What if I get sick?" I scoffed. "What if something happens to Stefan? He's the only sane person in that house, and I'm starting to wonder if he really is 'brother/parent' material!"

He was silent. "I know...I'm sorry Caroline." I heard a door open and he quickly mumbled. "I have to go. Call you later. Bye."

The line went dead and I glared at my phone before shutting it.

_Seriously, Uncle Zach? Seriously?_

I started up my car and drove to Elena's, still in disbelief at my god-father.

~0~

When I got there, Bonnie and Elena were...talking... I would call it arguing, but it wasn't there, not quite. The room tingled with tension.

"Woah. What's going on?" I set my purse on the couch and went into the kitchen.

"Bonnie keeps lying!" Elena snarled, and she threw a necklace at Bonnie.

_Wait, she threw that into the field...how is here?_

"What?" Bonnie stared at the necklace in terror.

"How did that get there then?" she crossed her arms.

"I watched her throw it, if it matters." I put in, wondering why she was hounding Bonnie so bad.

"Damon has been bugging me about that stupid thing for the last week!" she scoffed. "I would have told Stefan, but he's been busy! I can't believe you would lie!"

"I'm  _not_." Bonnie retorted defensively.

"Then explain it."

"Emily." I said, she being the first person – er, ghost – to come to mind.

"The ghost? Seriously?" Elena rolled her eyes.

Bonnie went over to her bag and put the necklace back into a pocket. "I wonder why she won't leave me alone..." I heard her mumble.

They bickered back and forth before Bonnie threw her hands up. "I'm a witch!"

Elena chuckled dryly. "And don't we all know it!"

I couldn't help but laugh. Elena could totally be thick sometimes.

"That's what I'm talking about! I'm trying to tell you something, and you aren't even listening!"

Bonnie stormed back into the kitchen and Elena rolled her eyes.

"I listen, don't I Caroline!"

I raised my hands. "Nope, nooo! I am not getting into this!"


	27. History Repeating : Part Two

_Previously on Everything Changes..._

_"_ _Emily." I said, she being the first person – er, ghost – to come to mind._

_"_ _The ghost? Seriously?" Elena rolled her eyes._

_Bonnie went over to her bag and put the necklace back into a pocket. "I wonder why she won't leave me alone..." I heard her mumble._

_They bickered back and forth before Bonnie threw her hands up. "I'm a witch!"_

_Elena chuckled dryly. "And don't we all know it!"_

_I couldn't help but laugh. Elena could totally be thick sometimes._

_"_ _That's what I'm talking about! I'm trying to tell you something, and you aren't even listening!"_

_Bonnie stormed back into the kitchen and Elena rolled her eyes._

_"I listen, don't I Caroline!"_

_I raised my hands. "Nope, nooo! I am not getting into this!"_

* * *

I went upstairs to go to the bathroom, and when I came back down I heard Elena and Bonnie talking again.

 _Good_. I smiled.  _They made up._

As much as Elena got on my nerves, I hated when she and Bonnie fought. It only created drama, and I had enough of that in my life.

"I have an idea!" Elena suddenly announced, running over to Bonnie, who was leaning against the counter. "Why don't we have a séance?" her eyes sparkled mischievously.

 _There's no way that_ _ **that's**_ _a good idea._  My gut told me, and Bonnie and I shared uneasy looks.

"I don't think that's a good idea." Bonnie said.

Elena, never one to be shot down, pouted. "Aw, c'mon, don't be a scaredy-cat!"

I rolled my eyes. "I agree with Bonnie, Elena."

Scoffing, she replied in an annoyed voice. "Seriously, you too?"

I didn't say anything, just simply shrugged nonchalantly.

"Fine!" my friend suddenly bit out. "Fine. Let's go upstairs and have a stupid séance."

Elena grinned widely and scrambled up the stairs, grabbing candles on the way.

"I thought you didn't think this was a good idea?" I asked Bonnie, as headed upstairs.

She was silent for a brief moment. "My curiosity got the best of me, and Jenna's out, so I figured, what the hell?"

I didn't reply, and my better judgment was telling me that this was a very  _very_  bad idea.

A few minutes later, we were sitting on the floor in a circle, holding hands. The lights were off, and a few candles were lit here and there, casting eery shadows on our faces.

"What are we doing?" I hissed at Bonnie, who shrugged in response.

"Be quiet and concentrate. Close your eyes...now take a deep breath, Bonnie. Call to her." Elena commanded.

The room fell silent, and Bonnie spoke. "Emily, you there?"

"That's all you got?"

"Fine!" Bonnie scowled. "Jeez." she closed her eyes and took a deep breath, her forehead creased in concentration. "Emily." her voice sounded old and powerful. "I call on you. I know you have a message. I'm here to listen."

The light in the room increased, and my head whipped to watch the candle's flames flare up for a moment.

Her brown eyes shot open, and she looked at us.

"Did that just..." I asked nervously.

"Yeah." Elena said, smirking. "It just happened."

"It's just the air conditioning." Bonnie said, trying to convince herself more then either of us.

"Ask her to show you a sign." Elena pressed. "Ask her!" she hesitated for a split second before blurting out, "Emily, if you're among us, show us another sign!"

Nothing happened for a moment, and Bonnie's shoulders sagged in relief. "See? It's not working."

The windows flew open, and I almost jumped out of my skin.  _Oh my god._

"I can't!" my witchy friend leaped up, ripped off her necklace and threw it on the ground. The candles went out abruptly, casting the room in darkness. "Get the light.  _Please_  get the light on." her voice trembled, and I stood up, making my way to the door, only to bump into something.

"Hold on. I got it." Elena said, and flicked on her light.

We looked around the room, but the necklace- it was gone.

"You guys..." I said, and Bonnie finished my sentence. "The necklace, it's gone!"

**Third Person POV**

Stefan and Damon stood on the football field, looking a bit out of place. The younger brother was holding a football, while the elder just looked plain confused.

"What are we doin' here?" Damon asked, raising an eyebrow.

Stefan chuckled, and threw the ball. "Bonding. Catch! Go on, give it a try."

Damon easily leaped up into the air and caught it between his hands with a soft thud. "Don't forget who taught you how to play this game."

Stefan suddenly tackled him, and his brother winced. "That hurt."

Stefan stood up, and brushed himself off. "Downside of my diet...getting hit actually hurts a little bit."

Damon stood up as well, and pulled a flask out of his jacket, taking a swig. They had just left Mystic Grill.

"I'm impressed Stefan. Fun with Booze and darts, sentimental with football, and now starry night. What do you want, Stefan?"

The younger man's face grew serious. "It wasn't real, Damon. Our love for Katherine. She compelled us. We didn't have a choice. Took me years to sort that out, to truly understand what she did to us."

Damon sighed and held up his hands. "Oh no, Stefan. We are  _not_  taking on that tonight."

"What do you want with Chandra's crystal?" he pressed.

"What do you mean  _Chandra's_  crystal? It belonged to Katherine."

"Yeah." Stefan said. "It was Katherine's only because she took it from Chandra, and gave her another necklace in exchange."

Damon narrowed his eyes. He clearly was not informed about this part of the story. "That doesn't explain how you know."

"Come on, you've been pestering both Caroline and Elena about it, you should have known one of them would tell me."

Damon stepped closer. "How do you know it was Chandra's? Someone gave it to Katherine on her last night. I was with her, and you...weren't."

He furrowed his brows. "I was the last one to see Katherine, Damon...Now, what do you want with it?"

They both looked confused. "She didn't tell you?"

Stefan shrugged. "We had...other things...on our mind."

"I could rip your heart out and not think twice about it." Damon suddenly announced, and Stefan clearly didn't care.

"I've heard that before."

Damon's steely blue eyes sparkled in the light from the stadium lights. "I have a bigger surprise, Stefan. I'm going to bring her back."

**Caroline's POV**

"Okay, fun's over, Elena. You made a point, and we get it. Now give it back to Bonnie." I said, staring at the brown haired girl.

"What?" she narrowed her eyes in disbelief. "Well I didn't take it! What? What happened?"

"I don't know...maybe its nothing." I replied truthfully, looking around the floor. "Jeremy?" I called into the hallway. "Are you home?"

Bonnie headed into the bathroom, murmuring under her breath. "Guys!" She said, standing inside the bathroom. She held the crystal up for us to see, and then the door suddenly slammed shut.

I gasped, and I heard Bonnie gasp as well. "You guys! Open the door!" she panted. "Help me!"

I ran over to the door, Elena right behind me. "Bonnie!" we exclaimed.

"Bonnie! What's going on, Bonnie?" I jiggled the doorknob, and turned to Elena. "Try the other door! I'll check the hallway!"

Elena nodded and ran to the other door in Jeremy's room.

"Bonnie! Bonnie! Unlock the door!" I heard Elena call, and I said the same thing, pounding on the door.

My skin suddenly grew cold, and I swallowed nervously.

My door suddenly creaked open, and Elena came around the corner.

"What happened? Are you okay?" I asked, staring at my best friend with wide eyes.

She stared right through me it seemed. "I'm fine." her voice sounded hollow, and I wasn't convinced.

"Oh my god you are unbelievable!" Elena scoffed. "You were  _totally_  faking it!"

"'Lena!" I snapped at the girl. "Do you seriously think Bonnie would fake that?"

"Yes!" she retorted, looking annoyed. "You scared the hell out of me!"

"Bonnie?" I asked again, quietly, looking into her eyes. They were the same shade of brown, but they just  _weren't_  hers. The way Bonnie was holding herself was different too.

"I'm fine. Everything's fine." Bonnie murmured, and Elena and I met gazes, confused looks on our faces.

Elena didn't say anything more, just huffed out, her annoyance clear.

**Third Person POV**

"Her? Which girl? I know you had...er...relations with both girls..." Stefan asked his elder brother.

Damon looked past his brother, and thought for a moment. "Before Katherine and the others were killed in the church, do you remember what it was like in the town?"

Stefan's eyes clouded over, reminiscing in the past fear and hysteria. "I remember the fear and hysteria...?" he tried to put the pieces together, but couldn't quite figure it out.

"Townspeople were killing vampires one by one. When they came for Chandra and Katherine, I went straight to Emily and said, "I'll do anything. Name your price, just protect them. She did."

"Why would you protect Katherine when she compelled both of us and used us?"

Damon narrowed his eyes. "She compelled me to do so, and I would have saved Chandra anyways, if it wasn't for Katherine killing us later on..."

"Wait, how did Emily protect them?"

He shrugged in response. "She did some kind of spell with the crystal. And while the church was burning and we thought they was burning in it. They weren't."

"But I saw  _both_  of them go inside." he mumbled, mostly to himself.

A smirk overtook the others face, and he shoved his thumbs in his pockets. "There's a tomb underneath the church. The spell sealed them in that tomb, protecting them. Easy peasy."

"So, they're alive? Both of them?"

Damon laughed. "If that's what you wanna call it. They've been trapped in a mystical holding cell for the last century and a half, but you're an expert on starving vampires, so how do you think they're doing, Stefan? Did you know that witches can use celestial events to draw energy into their magic? Me either. But in order to give the crystal its power, Emily used the comet that was passing overhead, and in order for that crystal to work again..."

"The comet had to return." Stefan's green eyes widened.

Somewhere in the distance, hidden from sight by the bleachers, was a figure, listening in intently. When the news that the girls were technically alive, their eyebrows shot up in shock.  _Could this be true?_

Damon continued. "Downside...Long time in between comets and a couple of hiccups along the way with the crystal but the comet passed, and I got the crystal. And then Caroline got the crystal, and now Bonnie has the crystal and here we are."

"Why would Emily...Why would anyone do this for you?" he looked at the football in his hands, still trying to process this information.

"Because she knew they were gonna come for her, too, and she made me promise that her lineage would survive." He explained, but Stefan's expression didn't change. He still looked shell-shocked.

"I remember." he mumbled. "You saved her children."

He bobbed his head once. "It's the only thing keeping me from ripping that little Bonnie girl's throat out to get my crystal back. Well. A deal's a deal. So...You wanna go throw some more?"

**Caroline's POV**

Bonnie walked down the stairs, ignoring our questions.

_This is not natural...something must be going on...should I call Stefan?_

"I still can't believe I fell for it." Elena grumbled, watching Bonnie slowly walk down the staircase.

"Bon?" The witch stopped, but didn't turn around. "Are you alright?"

"I must go." she simply said, and kept walking.

"She's leaving." I turned to Elena. "I'm leaving."

Elena's face contorted into a sad frown. "You guys can't leave!"

"Sorry, I need to make sure Bonnie's okay..." I jogged down the stairs after her.

"Fine! Go! I've had enough freaky fake witch stuff for one night – lifetime – anyways!"

I scoffed and when Bonnie was at the front door, she turned around. "Thank you for having me. I'll take it from here."

I narrowed my eyes at my friend. "Where are you going?"

She met my eyes, her face emotionless. "Back to where it all began."

Something inside me clicked. It was Emily  _inside_  Bonnie!

I followed her out the door. "Emily." I said, sure of myself.

Her head whipped around to look at me. "I won't let  _him_  have it. It must be destroyed."

She briskly walked away. "Wait!"

Emily narrowed her eyes and threw her hand in my direction, sending me flying backwards and into my car. My head hit the frame and black spots appeared in my vision.

A few minutes later, when my head managed to stop screaming at me, Jeremy walked up, and looked down at me on the ground, confused. "What the hell?"

"Sorry." I mumbled, taking his offered hand and getting up. "I fell."

"Are you okay?" he asked, studying my face.

I nodded once, and looked down the way Emily was heading, but she was out of sight.

Jeremy went inside, and I quickly dialed Stefan's number.

"It's Bonnie!"

"What about Bonnie, Care?" he asked.

"Emily is possessing her. She said something."

I heard an exclaim, and Damon's voice was suddenly on the line.

"What did she say?"

I scoffed. "Give the phone back to Stefan!"

"I can hear you too, Care. It's fine." I heard him admit, and I continued. "She said, 'I won't let him have it. It must be destroyed.' And then she sent me flying into my car and she walked off. I would have gone after her but I think I might have passed out."

"Where do you think she went?" Damon demanded, and I shrugged, not realizing he couldn't see me.

"I don't know. She took Bonnie to Fell's Church, by the old cemetery in her dreams, so I guess that's where she went then." I heard a swoosh, and a thud.

"Sorry." Stefan suddenly spoke up, loud and clear. "Damon just ran off, probably to go get her. You should stay there. I'll go help her."

The line went dead.

**Third Person POV**

"Hello Emily." A deep voice said, and Damon Salvatore stepped out of the shadows. "You look different."

Emily's head whipped around to stare at him. "I won't let you do it." She stepped back a few steps, standing in the middle of the graveyard, in the moonlight.

"We had a deal!" he narrowed his eyes, studying her.

"Things are different now. I need to protect my family." she murmured.

"Hello Emily, Damon." Klaus stepped forward, surprising them both.

"Niklaus." Emily greeted, nodding her head, doing her best to not look afraid.

"I do believe you have something that belongs to us."

She looked down at the crystal, strung around her neck on the bronze chain.

"I protected your family. And Klaus stayed away from here, just like you wanted! You owe me! You owe us!" Damon snarled, stalking forwards.

"I know. I'm sorry."

Both men stalked forward, and Emily threw her hand, pinning them both to trees.

She flung her other hand and long branches pierced the middle of their stomachs. She was kind enough to spare them.

Stefan arrived a few minutes later, not noticing Emily, whom was standing behind the darkest and deeply shadowed tree.

**Stefan's POV**

"It hurts." Damon complained as I pulled out the branch. "This is why I feed on people."

I looked over to Klaus, met his eyes, and looked away. I did not have a good relationship, and was in no mood to help Klaus.

"Stefan." Bonnie stepped out from behind a tree, and I studied her for a second until nodding. "Hello Emily."

"These people don't deserve this. They should never have to know such evil!"

I cocked my head to the side. "What do you mean, evil?"

"Emily." Klaus snarled, and Damon continued for him. "You know we'll make you regret this, swear to God."

"I won't let you unleash them into this world!" she snarled right back, standing her ground.

"Them?" I asked.  _But only Chandra and Katherine are in the tombs?_ "What part of the story did you leave out Damon?"

He chuckled nervously. "What does it matter?"

I ran a hand through my hair, and suddenly heard a heartbeat, beating steadily.

Damon and Klaus heard it to, as did Emily. We all turned our attention to Caroline, whom was fast walking towards us, loudly crunching through the leaves. I was surprised I didn't hear her before.

"Tell me what you did." I directed at Emily.

She swallowed, and met Caroline's eyes. She finished walking and paused next to me, smiling sheepishly. I told her to stay home, but here she was.

Surprise, surprise.

Sorry. She mouthed, and I just shook my head in disbelief.

"To save them, I had to save them all."

"You saved everyone in the church?" Klaus exclaimed.

"With one, comes all." she stared straight ahead, glancing warily at Caroline yet again.

What was that all about?

"I don't care about them, I just want to be with Chandra, and to put a stake in that bitch Katherine's heart."

"I knew I shouldn't have believed a single word that comes out of your mouth. This isn't about love, is it? This is about revenge." I heard myself say. Despite all the bad things Katherine did to me, I still had some sort of feelings for her. I did keep her portrait after all...

"The two aren't mutually exclusive."

"Oh my god, Klaus." Caroline suddenly exclaimed, seeing the bleeding man against the tree.

He chuckled, his teeth red from blood. "Hello, love."

She swallowed nervously and looked back to Emily.

"Damon, you can't do this." she said, and I bobbed my head in agreement.

"Why not? They killed 27 people, and they called it a war battle. They deserve whatever they get."

"27 Vampires, Damon. They were vampires. You can't just bring them back." I pleaded, and Damon shrugged.

"This town deserves this."

"How would you know?" Caroline pointed out. "You were gone until just recently!"

He snorted. "Does it matter?"

She raised an eyebrow and I continued, backing her up.

"You're blaming innocent people for something that happened 145 years ago."

Damon shrugged, walking over to Klaus. "There is nothing innocent about these people, and don't think for a second it won't happen again. They already know too much, and they'll burn your little grandwitch right next to us when they find out. Trust me." he ripped the wood out of Klaus' stomach, and patted his shoulder.

"Things are different now." Emily pointed out.

"Don't do this." Damon said through clenched teeth.

Emily met my eyes for a moment, and then looked to Damon and Klaus. "I can't free them. I won't.  _Incendia_!"

The wind started to blow violently and my brother's blue eyes widened. "No! No, please!"

"Bonnie!" I heard another voice call, and Elena ran through the trees. "Sorry I took so long." she said to Caroline.

"NO!" Klaus snarled along with Damon, and Emily threw the necklace into the air. It exploded, and the moment it was gone, Bonnie's neck craned up towards the sky, and she fell to the ground, Emily clearly gone from her body.

My brother was at her side in an instant, snarling and sinking his teeth into her neck. Klaus yanked him off of her a few seconds later, and they disappeared.

**Caroline's POV**

"Do something!" I exclaimed, running to Bonnie's side.

He was kneeling by her not even a second after. "She's alive, but only barely. I can save her."

He bit into his wrist, and fed Bonnie his blood.

I sighed in relief, "Her neck, it's healing."

I threw my arms around Stefan, hugging him. "Thanks." I smiled, and Elena hugged him as well. "Thanks, babe." she kissed him on the cheek and I looked away, grimacing.

_Get a room._

Bonnie stirred on the ground, and Stefan took off, presumably after Damon.

**Third Person POV**

"Katherine nor Chandra never compelled me. I knew everything. Every step of the way, it was real for me. I'm going to leave now." Damon told his brother, staring up at the moon. He suddenly took off, and was gone.

**Caroline's POV**

"What happened to me?" Bonnie mumbled out, her hand on her forehead. She was leaning against my car, looking confused. "He attacked me, and his face...it was..."

"How do you feel?" I asked, not wanting to explain it just yet. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine." her eyes were haunted. "It's just this blood." she looked down at her blood-stained shirt and hands. "I don't..."

Stefan suddenly appeared, and her breath caught in her throat.

"I'm not going to hurt you." he said earnestly, holding his hands up.

"What's going on, guys?" she asked again, looking to Elena, and then to me.

I met eyes with Stefan, and seconds later, Elena said, "We'll explain everything, Bonnie, okay? Let's just get out of the woods."

Bonnie was staring at her hands, tears running down her face.

"Bonnie." I said gently. "Bonnie look at me. Trust us. He's not going to hurt you. Come on. Come on." I opened the car door and she sat down inside, pulling her knees to her chest. I shut the door behind her and looked to Stefan. "Is she in danger of becoming like you?"

He shook his head. "No, she has to die with my blood in her system, so keep an eye on her tonight and make sure that nothing happens and once it leaves her system, she'll be fine." he hesitated, but continued on. "Damon might come after her, so make sure she gets home okay?"

Elena and I nodded. "We will."

"And Stefan?" I said, as Elena and I started to get into my car. "I'm going to tell her the truth."

"You sure?" he swallowed and looked into the backseat at Bonnie.

"She needs to know, and I trust her."

He nodded once, silent.

I got into the car, but then, suddenly, Elena leaped out and ran around to stand in front of Stefan.

"You saved her life. I'm sorry, Stefan. I thought that ...I couldn't be with you, but I can. You don't have to push me away. I can do this."

He looked away. "I can't. I have to leave, Elena. Too many people have died. Too much has happened."

When I heard him say this, I got out too. "What about me? Zach's gone, and you're just going to go too?"

Elena didn't say anything, she just stood there with her mouth agape. "Fine." she scoffed, clearly angry. "Fine. I see how you are. You aren't Edward Freaking Cullen, Stefan, you can't just walk away and expect me to be safe. Damon knows where I live, Klaus knows where I live!"

"I have to. Coming home was...it was a mistake. I can't be a part of your life anymore." he turned to me. "Zach is coming home tomorrow. You'll be fine. I think you both could use a vampire free life."

"Good-bye, Elena." he kissed her hand, and came over to me. "Caroline." he nodded, giving me a hug.

I blinked in shock, hugging him back. "Stefan..."

"You're just gonna walk away? Don't walk away, Stefan! Stefan!" Elena suddenly screamed out, the moment he disappeared.

"C'mon Elena." I said, awkwardly comforting the crying girl. "We need to get Bonnie home."


	28. Turning Point : Part One

_Previously on Everything Changes..._

_"_ _Good-bye, Elena." he kissed her hand, and came over to me. "Caroline." he nodded, giving me a hug._

_I blinked in shock, hugging him back. "Stefan..."_

_"_ _You're just gonna walk away? Don't walk away, Stefan! Stefan!" Elena suddenly screamed out, the moment he disappeared._

_"_ _C'mon Elena." I said, awkwardly comforting the crying girl. "We need to get Bonnie home."_

* * *

The next day, in school, Bonnie and I were sitting at the picnic tables, and I was answering her questions as best as I could. We were suddenly interrupted, when Elena came stumbling over, ranting about some guy.

"Woah, woah,woah." I said, holding up my hands. "Slow down, girl!" Elena plopped down from across from me. "Say it again, but with less emotion?"

She rolled her eyes and repeated herself. "Logan Fell, Jenna's ex-boyfriend, is back!"

I raised an eyebrow, but Bonnie beat me to our mutual question.

"Isn't he the reason she left in the first place?"

She nodded, twirling her hair around her finger.

_Surprisingly calm seeing as how her boyfriend left her...and my only 'parent' if that's what you'd call him, left as well. Sure, Zach would be home this evening, but still...Stefan was my friend, and I hated to see him go._

"Care?" Bonnie asked, and I looked up from my journal, to see both girls staring at me, and then glancing down at my book, which I promptly closed.

"Did she slam the door in his face?" I asked, and Elena scrunched up her nose.

"Ah, medium slam."

I shook my head. "I would have slammed it as hard as I could."

The bell ring, and I got up, heading towards my last class of the day.

**Third Person POV**

"So, any idea of where you'll go?" Stefan asked.

His brother was staring out the window, obviously moody. Stefan was supposed to call Zach once Damon left, to let him know it was alright to come back.

"I don't know." he shrugged, still staring. "London maybe, see some friends."

Stefan snorted and went over to the bar. "You don't have any friends, Damon."

"You're right Stefan, I only have  _you._ " he turned away from the window, and looked at his brother, a dangerous smirk on his face. "So, where are we goin'?"

Stefan snorted, and poured himself a glass of whiskey. " _We_  are not going anywhere. I'm gonna live my life as far away from you as possible."

Damon walked towards him. "But we're a team! We could travel the world together. We could try out for "The Amazing Race"."

He shook his head and took a drink. "Yeah." he chuckled dryly. "That's funny. Seriously where are  _you_  going? Because we are  _not_  staying in this town."

Damon's eyes flickered towards the front door, and Stefan turned his head, trying to hear whatever his brother was hearing.

The doorbell rang, and Stefan glanced at his elder brother before going to the front door to answer it.

He swallowed, slightly nervous,  _why was the Sheriff here?_

"Sheriff Bennett." he nodded. "What-"

"I'm here to see Damon." he looked past his shoulder, curiously.

"Uh. Sure, ok."

Almost if on cue, he felt his brother's presence behind him, and he stepped aside to let him through.

"Sheriff!" he put on a charming smile. "What a surprise."

Bennett looked at Stefan pointedly. "Sorry to bother you, but we need to talk."

"Come in." Damon offered, stepping away.

Stefan stepped back, watching the pair suspiciously. What was his brother's angle? Being friend's with the sheriff, a town council member no doubt?

They went out back, into the courtyard, and Stefan glanced at the back door before heading back into the parlor to finish his drink – and to see if he could overhear their conversation.

He sat himself by the window, and listened. Thankfully, he was strong enough to hear almost every word.

" _There's been another attack. A female victim, her throat torn out, completely drained of blood. It fits the pattern." the Sheriff said quietly._

" _I'm sorry. I don't understand. I thought we solved that problem when I...staked the blond one."_

Stefan's hand tightened on his glass, and when he felt it start to give way, he immediately eased up on the pressure, not wanting to have to pick glass out of his hand.

" _I'm thinking she must have turned someone. Or multiple someones...who knows what a monster like this has planned. I honestly don't know."_

_Bennett sighed, and continued. "The story for the town is another animal attack, but I'm not sure how long we can keep lying to them. The council is in an uproar. We thought we were past this."_

" _So, uh, what do we do?" Damon replied, and Stefan could hear the unease in his voice._

" _You're the only one who's ever taken on a vampire. We were hoping you could tell us...maybe how to kill one, or what their weaknesses are...other than vervain?"_

**Caroline's POV**

"Did I miss something?" I asked, gesturing to the once couple, Matt and Elena, walking down the hall again, talking and laughing.

"They've been hanging out."

I furrowed my brows, and watched them walk away.

"When? She just broke up with Stefan yesterday, Bonnie."

She shrugged. "It's Elena, she always has time for boys."

"Well, she does need someone nice like him, instead of somebody like Stefan..." I said, and rephrased my words when Bonnie shot me a strange look. "I mean, Stefan won't age, and she will, and he's not as...stable...as most vampires. Maybe it's good Elena has a human relationship instead?"

Bonnie nodded slowly.

"Yeah, how are you doing with all that by the way? I know it's a whole lot to take in."

She rubbed the back of her neck. "Freaked out. I mean, Damon  _attacked me –_ I could be dead right now. But...I'm also grateful."

"Stefan's heart is in the right place." I nodded to myself.

"Did you see him this morning before you left?"

I shook my head. "I didn't see anyone...it was kind of...quiet. Lonely. I don't know who has or hasn't left."

She nodded. "Is Zach going to come back?"

I frowned, twisting the dial on my locker. "I don't know. I kind of hope he will, but I don't want Damon to come back and kill him..."

**Third Person POV**

Damon and Sheriff Bennett came around to the front door.

"Thank you for stopping by." Damon said, nodding once at the Sheriff.

He nodded back. "Let me know what you come up with."

"Of course." he smiled charmingly and went inside.

Suddenly, Stefan had Damon pinned against the door. "What is wrong with you? You killed someone, _again?_ "

Damon scoffed. "Get off of me." he easily pushed him off, and continued. "A- don't touch me. B- if I had, I wouldn't have been so obvious about it." he walked past his brother, and shrugged. "There's another vampire in town."

Stefan narrowed his eyes. "That isn't possible. We're the only two vampires in this town."

"Yeah, other than Klaus, and I don't think he'd want to leave..." Damon mumbled mysteriously.

"He doesn't want to leave?" Stefan asked, cocking his head. "So if you say it's not either of you, and it's not me, then who could it be?"

Damon shrugged and continued into the parlor, Stefan right on his heels.

"Ah, what do we care? We're leaving anyway, right?"

"I don't want Caroline to get hurt. She's like my little sister." Stefan explained, grabbing his drink and downing the last sip.

"You mean you don't want  _Elena_  to get hurt."

"And no, we're not leaving now. We can't, and you know that." he approached Damon, looking at him seriously. "How are we supposed to find this person?"

"Let the adults handle this, Stefan." he said, and took the glass out of his hand, filled it up with bourbon, and downed it in one smooth motion.

Stefan looked emotionlessly at his reckless brother for a brief moment before leaving the house.

Elena and Caroline would be out of school soon, and Caroline expected both brothers to be gone, and Zach to be home.

Stefan took off into the woods, taking the quickest way towards the school. He paused halfway through, and dialed Zach's number.

**Caroline's POV**

When I exited my last class of the day, I saw – much to my surprise – Elena and Stefan sitting at a picnic table by the parking lot, talking. When I passed by the basketball court, both Matt and Tyler, stopped and stared towards me, and then their eyes flickered over towards Elena and Stefan.

"Ay, Forbes." Tyler called and I scoffed, looking over at them. "C'mere."

I paused, crossing my arms. "What am I, a lapdog?"

Tyler rolled his eyes and Matt spoke up, always so polite. "Please?"

I smiled faintly and headed over towards them. "What's up Matt?" I smiled at him, and glared at Tyler, who smirked and glared back.

"What's up with Stefan and Elena?"

Matt shoved him, but the damage was done.

_Did Matt still like Elena?_

"You still like her, don't you?" I whispered, not wanting Stefan to hear.

Matt's cheeks flushed and he rubbed the back of his neck. "Haven't gotten over her I guess."

I raised an eyebrow. "She's with Stefan, but their relationship is rocky, at best."

Tyler smirked and punched Matt's shoulder. "There ya go man! He's not what Gilbert needs or  _wants_."

Matt shot another longing look towards Elena.

"Thanks Care." Matt smiled thankfully at me, and I nodded.

"For what? This conversation never happened."

His smiled widened and I continued my path towards my two friends.

"Someone's killing again." Stefan said, the moment my bottom hit the seat.

"Really?"

He nodded, and he filled me in on what he had heard from Damon and Sheriff Bennett.

"Are you 100% sure it's  _not Damon?_ " I questioned again, for the second time.

Stefan shrugged. "You know I'm never sure about Damon, but he's been trying to keep a low profile lately, so it just doesn't make any sense to me."

"What are we going to do?" I looked to Elena and Stefan.

" _We_ aren't gonna do anything." Stefan said firmly. "Damon is tracking them right now, and I'm going to keep an eye and ear out for them." he stood up and faced us. "I promised you the truth Elena, and Caroline, I'm going to promise you that now too. I wanted to tell the both of you, and I want you both to be careful."

I opened my mouth to protest, but Stefan shook his head.

He turned to leave, and we both stood up as well.

"Stefan." Elena called, before I could say anything. "When I saw you, I – thought you were coming to say good-bye."

He shook his head, and looked at me. "Not yet."

~0~

When I got home, I discovered a rather large box addressed to me on the front porch, I instantly recognized Zach's scrawl and I picked it up, instantly taking it inside and up to my room. I sat it on the bed, and used my key to break the tape. When I pulled back the cover, I was greeted with the sight of at least ten old leather bound books, with a note from Zach on the top.

 _Dear Caroline_ ,

_I figured it would be better for me to send these to you, instead of to Stefan, for fear that Damon will get his hands on them, thinking that they're of some importance to him._

_These are your ancestors journals, maybe you would like to read them if you get time? They speak of Stefan and Damon, back when they were still human. I thought maybe you'd like to learn more about them, and your family's past. I've included the four books from the Salvatore collection as well, four that are unknown to both brothers._

_Keep them safe, as well as yourself. The box is fused with vervain, so no vampire will be able to get into it without pain. I've sprayed the books with vervain as well, for extra protection. I hope to be home soon, I hope Stefan is keeping an eye on you._

_Stay out of trouble._

_Love,  
_

I heard the front door slam, so I quickly shut the box and shoved it under my bed, hiding it from view.

Sure enough, Damon knocked once before popping his head into my room. "Blondie, long time no see." he smirked. "I need your help."

I responded with a raised eyebrow. I set my phone aside, having pulled it out when I heard him come up the stairs.

"And why would I help you?"

~0~

I held the phone up to my ear with one hand, and held a compass in my other. I still couldn't believe that my granddad's watch was a freaking  _vampire_  compass.

"So what do I do now?" I asked, looking down at the compass, which was spinning slightly, but still pointing dead ahead at the old warehouse.

"Just wait." Damon replied, his voice full of sass. "I'll be there in a minute."

"Well hurry up. I don't have time to be your freaking vampire hunter, and my name is not Buffy."

The line suddenly went dead, and I pulled the phone away from my ear and looked at the screen. I huffed and shoved the phone in my pocket.

"Boo." a voice said from behind me, and I whirled around, my hand whipping the pepper spray out from my pocket, and spraying whomever was behind me.

The person grunted, and I saw Klaus dart back, rubbing his face, which was sizzling and slightly red.

_Yeah, that's what you get for scaring me. Vervain infused pepper spray. Glad to know it hurts vampires still._

"What was that for, love?"

I scoffed, and pocked the spray. "I thought you were Damon."

He walked out from behind the trees a moment later. "You were going to pepper spray  _me_?"

I shrugged, staring him dead on. "If you scared me, yeah."

Klaus was still rubbing his eyes and face, hissing slightly. "Be glad you didn't, mate, it bloody hurts."

I chuckled dryly, and Damon was in front of me moments later, staring down at me. I felt his hand snake into my pocket and I cried out in shock, kicking him in the shin. His hand wrapped around the container, and he hissed, pulling back. I pushed him as hard as I could, but ended up stepping back myself.

"You aren't going to take away my only means of defense!"

Klaus chuckled. "I saw the stake tucked into the back of your jeans, love."

I rolled my eyes. "Here." I shoved the compass into Damon's hand. "Here's your stupid compass, I'm leaving. I have homework to do."

I really didn't, but I counted the books from Zach as homework he assigned. What better way to learn more about everything?

Klaus narrowed his eyes slightly, but didn't question my heart, which I assumed was slightly irregular.

"Have fun getting the vampire." I said in a sing-song voice, and I climbed in my car, only to have my head shoved forward and bashed against the steering wheel, sending my world into darkness.


	29. Turning Point : Part Two

_Previously on Everything Changes..._

_Klaus narrowed his eyes slightly, but didn't question my heart, which I assumed was slightly irregular._

_"Have fun getting the vampire." I said in a sing-song voice, and I climbed in my car, only to have my head shoved forward and bashed against the steering wheel, sending my world into darkness._

* * *

**Third Person POV**

"Caroline!" Klaus exclaimed, rushing towards her car from his place by the trees.

The opposite car door opened, and a gun was propped up over the hood. Suddenly, the gun went off, and shot Damon straight in the shoulder, and narrowly missed Klaus, causing him to stumble into the tree behind him.

"Shit!" Damon groaned out and fell to his knees, clutching his shoulder.

Whomever was on the other side of the car slowly stood up, and shot again, hitting Klaus in the shoulder as well. He yelped in pain, darting away in a blur.

"Aw, come on." Damon grumbled again when he saw his friend was gone.

"I have tons of these  _amazing_  wood bullets, so nothing funky." a voice called, and Logan Fell, Jenna's ex-boyfriend and once Mystic Fall's newscaster, rose up from behind the car.

"You reaaallly don't want to piss me and my friend off, Fell."

Damon's eyes darted down to Caroline, who was still slumped down over the steering wheel. He could smell her blood from here...

Logan shot him again, and Damon screamed in pain.

"That's whatcha get." he shrugged, spinning the gun around carelessly.

"For what?" Damon grit out, glaring up at him.

Logan knelt in front of him, and followed Damon's gaze, which had flickered back to Caroline.

"Huh, got a soft spot for the blondie? Who'd a thunk?"

Damon snarled, and repeated his question. "For what?"

"You made me like this." he spat in return, and Damon raised an eyebrow.

"I killed you. I didn't turn you."

Damon's highly sensitive ears pricked as he heard a faint groan, and the smell of blood increased. Both sets of eyes looked at Caroline, whom had just regained consciousness. As she sat up, Damon noticed a small bloody crack on the side of her forehead, caking her blonde hair with the sticky substance.

"Damon?" she groaned, and when she saw Logan, her eyes widened, causing her to groan again.

"Logan?" she brought a hand up to her head, groaning still. "Oh my god."

Logan laughed. "Sorry Miss Forbes, had to get your boyfriends to pay attention to me for a while."

She scowled, and Damon used the slight diversion to pry a wooden bullet out of his chest.

The new vampire turned back to Damon. "See, I know what you and your brother are. I've been watching your family. I knew you'd show up here, and I'm glad you did. The fact you brought a snack is just a bonus." he smirked. "I have some questions."

Logan went and opened Caroline's door, and yanked her out with one hand, while aiming the gun at Damon with the other. He motioned them inside and led them deep into the warehouse.

"Now, I might not be as eager to hurt Miss Forbes, if you don't do anything stupid, and answer my questions." he shrugged. "Or, my finger might just slip and BAM!"

Caroline jumped in surprise, and trembled, still shaking in Logan's grasp.

"No more girlfriend for you two."

Damon eyed Caroline, and noticed her head was caking up, not flowing as much, and her eyes were getting their usual fiery glint to them.

"I'm  _not_  their girlfriend." she spat, and wrenched her arm away from him, stepping back. He leveled the gun to her head, and she gulped, holding her hands up.

"Woah, I'm not going to do anything." she insisted.

"Now, to the questions-" Logan started, turning to Damon, who interrupted him.

"Me first- who turned you."

He snorted. "How should I know? Last thing I remember is I'm about to stake your brother, and then you grabbed me. That's it...until I wake up in the ground behind a used car dealership on Hwy 4! Someone buried me."

Damon shifted positions and groaned. Caroline noticed this, and eyed the bullet still buried deep in his shoulder.

"It happens." Damon replied, grunting again.

Caroline slowly walked over to Damon, not trying to spook Logan at all.

"Here." she said softly, and her pale fingers dug into Damon's shoulder, not at all gently.

"You bit me!" the other protested. "It had to be you!"

Caroline continued to dig and Damon cursed. "You have to have vampire blood in your system when you die. I didn't do that. Some other vampire found you, gave you their blood." he grit out.

"Yes." said Klaus, from somewhere in the shadows. "And it wasn't me, either."

He stepped into the light, hands up. "Hello love." he shot a smirk at Caroline. "Getting your hands dirty, are we?"

She rolled her eyes and  _finally_ pulled out the bullet, dropping it on the floor. She then picked up the edge of Damon's collar and wiped off her hands.

"You're welcome." she said lowly.

Logan was getting antsy, and Care could sense it, just as he came towards her, Klaus was there, pushing him away.

"WHO?" he demanded, getting up from the pile of crates he had crushed.

"That's what we wanna know." Klaus shrugged, and glanced back at Damon and Care.

"Dude, it's not like the welcome wagon was waiting with a bundt cake and a handbook. It's been a learn as you go process. You know, one minute, I'm a small town on the rise news guy and next thing I know, I can't get into my house, because my foot won't go through the door."

"You have to be invited in." Caroline murmured quietly, remembering how Damon and Stefan couldn't get into the boarding house without Zach's permission.

"I live alone." he said emotionlessly.

Klaus and Damon chuckled quietly. "Ah, yes. That would indeed be quite unfortunate."

"So now, I'm at the Ramada, watching pay per view all day, eating everything in sight, including housekeeping." he eyed Caroline, who swallowed and stiffened slightly, her heart rate increasing slightly.

**Caroline's POV**

_Oh god. What's keeping him from killing me then? Damon? Klaus? Sheer willpower?_

Damon growled slightly. "Hands off, my brother would kill me."

"Wow Damon, you care." I said sarcastically, not being able to help myself.

"It could be worse." Klaus murmured to him. "I used to have to travel from city to city, compel- running and eating."

"All I can think about is blood and killing people. I can't stop killing people. I keep killing-" he laughed manically, at was at my side in a moment, stroking my face. "And I like it. I'm conflicted."

Damon and Klaus made a move to get him away from me, but he grabbed my neck and face in his hands. "Ah ah ah. Do I kill the pretty girl? Eat her? Let her go?"

"Welcome to the club." Damon snorted. "It's called humanity vs vampirism. Get used to it."

Logan seemed to make a decision, and he let go of me, pushed me into Klaus' chest, and stepped back, leveling the gun at Damon again. I blushed, staring up at Klaus, who smirked down at me before stepping away, giving me space.

"Wait a minute." Damon said after a moment. "Cops only found one body."

Logan shrugged, and I suddenly smelt the putrid smell of rotting flesh. "I left one. I was tired. But, I've been hiding the rest here."

"You're kidding." Damon mumbled, and he and Klaus met eyes.

"They're just piling up!" Logan shrugged.

My phone suddenly rang, shrilling loudly, echoing in the empty warehouse.

The psychopath motioned me with his gun. "Oh, please, go ahead."

I gulped and answered it.

"Hello..?"

" _Care_?" It was Bonnie. " _Where are you? Are you not here yet?_ "

"Eh..." I trailed off, running a hand through my bloody hair. "I'm... still getting ready. I got home late. Damon made me run an errand for him."

" _Oh...okay. Well-_ " she paused, and I heard her talk to someone in the background. " _Yes, it's Caroline, yeah she's getting ready. No, she hasn't seen him._ "

"Seen who?" I asked, and walked a bit further away, motioning for the boys to continue.

 _Hate to rain on Logan's evil monologue parade._ I thought bitterly.

" _Stefan_." Bonnie explained. " _Matt and Elena are hitting it off again, and she's worried Stefan will come here and make a scene_." she sighed. " _I think she forgets Stefan is much more...mature then her past boy-toys._ "

"Ah, the beauty of relationships." Logan mumbled from behind me.

" _Who was that?_ " Bonnie asked.

"Uh - I – uh, I gotta go. See you in a bit." I hung up abruptly, kind of feeling bad for hanging up on her.

"Why am I so overly emotional? Just hearing them talk about relationships makes me thing about my ex-girlfriend. I wanna be with her and bite her and stuff."

Damon shrugged. "Well, you probably love her. Anything you felt before will be magnified now. You're gonna have to learn how to control that."

Klaus nodded in agreement, and I thought for a moment.

"Oh my god, Jenna?" my mouth dropped open and I blurted it out before I could even think.

His eyes darted to me and smirked.

"What about walking in the sun? I'm a morning person. You can walk in the sun which, by the way, is pretty cool."

I noticed Damon flex his hand with his ring on it, and he hid it with his other hand.

"The council will never suspect you. That's not in the journals." Logan continued, sounding a bit impressed.

"The journals?" Damon asked curiously, and I immediately thought about my box of journals and books back at home.

"Yeah," Logan looked confused. "The founding fathers, they passed down journals to their kids. Come on man, you gotta tell me. How can you walk around in the sun?"

Damon, Klaus, and Logan all turned to me after a moment of silence.

_Oh no, did they think I had journals too?_

I didn't say anything, but I knew my heartbeat might have given my nervousness away.

"Who turned you?" Damon suddenly spat, eager to get the topic off his daylight rings.

"How do you walk in the sun?" Logan shot back, aiming the gun at Klaus.

"Who turned you?" he pressed, and the other twitched slightly.

"Y'know, I've been  _really_  nice so far, but...I will kill you...or...maybe I'll have a go with Caroline over there." he smirked, veins snaking just beneath the surface of his skin.

"Then you'll never know." Damon stepped forward. "You aren't answering my question.

"You first!"

Klaus spoke up. "It seems like we're at a bit of an impasse then, doesn't it?"

Logan rolled his eyes, sighing. "I have things to do, people to kill. Guess I'll be needing a little head start." he shot Damon and Klaus multiple times, causing them to fall, before he raced over to me, and slammed me up against the large column a few feet back. I groaned as my back slammed against it harshly.

"Don't follow me, Forbes." he scrunched up his nose, and his veins snaked dangerously close again. "I'm trying to..." he inhaled deeply, and he licked his lips. "Keep your boy-toys away from me, and I won't have to...kill you...or Jenna."

He smirked down at me again before disappearing, and I ran over to the men, whom where laying on their backs, groaning.

"You guys okay?" I asked, kneeling next to Klaus.

He sat up a moment later, and ripped out four bullets from his chest and leg. "I'm an Original, love. I'm fine."

"Damon?" I called, and he groaned weakly, and I walked over on my knees to him.

I huffed in frustration and ripped out the bullets as quickly as I could, hating how his blood caked under my nails. The feeling was disgusting, and I don't know how they could stand it.

_Could you be more of a girly-girl, Caroline?_

~0~

I got back up, stumbling slightly, as my world spun. Maybe my head was more messed up then I thought...

"Woah." I murmured, blinking rapidly.

Damon got up slowly, groaning still.

"Here." a wrist was shoved into my face, blood dripping down the side of Klaus' arm. I looked up at him hesitantly. I had had some of his blood before, as much as I hated it, back when Vicki injured me.

Damon pushed me into his arm, and used his free hand to push it to my lips.

Some of the blood washed down my throat and I coughed, backing away.

"DAMON!" I yelled, slapping him. "You don't get to chose that for me. What if I died somehow? Then I'd be like  _you_  and I do  _not_ want that."

He rolled his eyes, but I could tell that I hurt him slightly, saying that I didn't want to be like him.

"You're fragile, love." Klaus murmured.

I scoffed and took off towards the entrance, only to get lost a minute late.

"Okay. I give up. Could one of you  _please_  show me where the exit is?" I whispered, and Klaus appeared, an amused look on his face. He led me to the exit, and I walked towards my car.

"Yeah, you aren't driving anywhere." Damon snapped, opening the door to the backseat.

"But I had vampire blood." I put in, and he shrugged.

"Not enough to heal you completely."

I scoffed before climbing into the backseat. Damon drove while Klaus rode shotgun all the way back to the Boarding house.

~0~

**Damon's POV**

"Logan Fell is a vampire, and when I find him again, I'm going to destroy him limb by limb." I spat into the phone.

"What happened? Are you okay?" Stefan asked and I resisted the urge to roll my eyes. "Was Caroline with you? Bonnie said you had her do something for you..."

The spunky blonde popped into my mind and I sighed in exasperation. " _Blondie_  is  _fine_  Stefan. Stop worrying, you know Elena would hate to see  _another_  worry wrinkle on that pretty little forehead of yours!"

Stefan didn't say anything for a moment.

"Me, on the other hand...no I'm not ok. I was ambushed. I was shot. Now I'm...vengeful. Just gotta find him." I continued on, and glanced up as Caroline walked into the parlor and raised an eyebrow at my sentence.

 _Drama queen!_  she mouthed and I rolled my eyes, pushing away the memories that would resurface every time I saw a facial expression that mirrored Chandra's.

"Well, there's no need. He's here at the school." I heard my brother say and I smirked.

"You're  _kidding_ me. Why the hell is he  _there?"_

"He's working the crowd." he replied, and I thought for a moment.

Caroline said that his ex-girlfriend was Jenna, Elena's aunt...and since Jenna is Elena's guardian...she'd probably be at this 'career fair' with Elena...

"Well, I'll be right there." I replied, and headed for the front door.

"Any news?" Blondie's curious voice spoke up right before I was out the door and I nodded. "Going to go after him right now."

**Caroline's POV**

Damon looked at me curiously. "And where are you headed off to?"

"The Career Fair." I replied, and I jiggled my keys. "And I'm late, so if you'll excuse me..."

He stepped out of my way, studying me still.

_What's his problem?_

I brushed it off as just Damon being Damon, and I drove quickly to the Career Fair, not wanting to be missed for too long, despite my hour-long absence

When I arrived, I saw Elena walking towards the parking lot, looking annoyed.

"Hey, what's up?"

She scoffed, pushing her hair behind her ears. "Stefan's keeping things from me, and I tried to show Jenna what I wanted to do – Broadcast Journalism – and she just shot me down! ' _You don't even read the paper'_ " Elena mimicked her aunt, a snide look in her eyes. "I'm going to go find Matt." she mumbled a moment later, and I nodded.

"I didn't have a choice." I heard Bonnie's father say to someone, and I walked towards the side door to the school.

I saw the back of Logan's head, and paused behind the large dumpster, hoping the stench of that, and the noise from inside the school, was enough to hide my presence from the vampire.

"You dick! I died for you, for this town! You've known me since I was six and you swept me under the rug like dirt!" Logan stalked towards Sheriff Bennett and I swallowed nervously.

"You knew what you were getting into." he pointed out, and Logan paused studying him.

"I was one of you!"

"And now you're one of them..." the Sheriff mumbled, and Logan started to leave, before suddenly appearing in front of the Sheriff.

He whispered something and then walked away, and I heard his footsteps getting louder.

_Shit shit shit._

Once the door to the gym shut again, I was face to face with Logan, yet again.

"Hello Miss Forbes." he smirked. "I thought we might run into each other again."

I didn't reply, simply clutched at my vervain pepper spray attached to my key ring.

He cocked his head to the side, and glanced back at the doors. "Say...have you seen Jenna?"

And a moment later he was gone.

"Stefan!" I called out into the darkness, hoping he was near by.

**Third Person POV**

"Elena!" Jenna called into the hallway, annoyed. She had searched the gym and hallways for the past ten minutes, trying to find Elena somewhere, anywhere!

"Elena!" she called again, pacing back and forth.

She gave up, and dug her phone out from her purse. After selecting her niece's contact she waited.

_Ring...ring..._

"Hello?" Elena answered.

"Where are you?" Jenna demanded, barely concealing her frustration. "I've been looking everywhere!"

Elena scoffed. "I took Matt home."

"With my car?"

Jenna walked down the hall and went out the front door, raking a hand through her strawberry blonde hair.

"Sorry." Elena replied, although it was obvious by her tone of voice that she was very clearly  _not_  sorry.

"Fine." Jenna snapped. "I'll find some other way home."

The line went dead and she pulled away the phone, staring at it in disbelief. Her own niece – who was in her custody no doubt – had stolen her car, and hung up on her!

"Hey, damsel in distress, need a ride?" an annoyingly familiar voice called from the road.

Jenna glanced up and saw Logan 'Scum' Fell in his car, smiling charmingly up at her.

"Oh my God." she gasped her voice oozing with sarcasm. "Logan Scum, channel 9, is that  _you_?"

He rolled his eyes. "I dated you for almost a year, Jenna, don't mock me."

I snorted. "My niece stole my car, and she won't bring it back."

"No ride?"

"I would ask my friend, but he's a teacher and is busy..."

He pouted before continuing. "It's not a problem, really. It's on my way..."

Jenna hesitated, biting her lip. "Okay..."

Meanwhile, Bonnie was standing outside, on the phone with Elena, whom was ranting to her about the unfairness of life. She noticed Jenna get into Logan's car and frowned. Hadn't Stefan and the others been looking for him earlier?

"Hey Elena?" she interrupted, much to her friend's displeasure. "I have to go..."

Bonnie pocketed her phone and saw Stefan and Caroline talking, looking antsy, by the gym doors.

"Hey." she greeted, and their heads shot up. "Aren't you guys looking for Logan Fell, the news guy?"

Stefan and Caroline met gazes before nodding. "Yeah, did you see him?"

Bonnie nodded. "Yeah..." she paused. "He just gave Jenna a ride home..."

Stefan started to walk away. He stopped and looked pointedly at Caroline, and then to Bonnie. "Stay here."

Stefan stalked away, trying to find his brother in the crowd. He went out the side gym doors, and found him and Klaus, plotting about something or other by the dumpsters.

"Found him." he said, and they looked at him in expectation.

"Where?" they both demanded.

"He just took Jenna home."

~0~

"Where are you?" Sheriff Bennett answered his phone from the parking lot of the school.

"Poor Jenna was in desperate need of a ride home...so I gave her one. I think it's _very_ important to help those in need." Logan's devious voice replied.

"What do you want?" Bennett asked with a sigh.

"The satisfaction of being with my girlfriend for a night...ruining your life...a lifetime supply of blood...a million bucks..."

His long 'list' was cut off as the line went silent.

~0~

Stefan sprinted over to the car, and ripped Logan out of the open window, praying to whoever was listening that it was Logan's blood he smelled, not Jenna's.

Stefan tossed the shocked newborn to the pavement, and Damon stalked out of the woods, shooting a gun at Logan, who fell to the ground, despite having just gotten up.

"Payback's a bitch, isn't it?" Damon smirked, and glanced over to Klaus.

"You watch for other cars." he turned his gaze to his brother. "Get her out of here."

Stefan went around to retrieve Jenna, and he finally realized Logan's phone was still on.

He pointed to the phone, and Damon jogged over.

"Sheriff, yeah, it's Damon."

" _Where's Jenna? Is she okay?"_

Damon rolled his eyes, and mocked the Sheriff to himself. Damn man, so worried.

"She's okay. I'm on Elm Street."

He hung up the phone, and looked around. Klaus was back in the woods, keeping an eye out for cars, while Stefan and Jenna were long gone.

Glancing at Logan, who was still unconscious on the pavement, he got an idea. Going over to the man's trunk, he opened it and pulled out a tire iron.

"Gonna try this one more time." he kicked Logan, waking him up. He swung it gently, indicating he would  _gladly_  harm the vampire. "Who turned you?"

Logan looked up at him, spitting blood. "I  _told_ you. I don't know."

Damon frowned, and examined the tire iron, weighing it in his hands. "Now, as I see it, this tire iron here could take your head clean off..." he held it like a baseball bat. "Is that your  _final_  answer?"

He heard Klaus hum the tune to Jeopardy in the background, and grinned to himself.

"How can you side with them?" Logan suddenly asked, and he raised an eyebrow.

"I don't side with anyone. You pissed me off and I want you dead.  _Who turned you_?"

"I DON'T KNOW!" Logan replied, and Damon shrugged.

"Oh well, you're screwed then." he started to swing the iron towards his head, when Logan flinched away.

"Wait, wait! I do know!"

He raised an eyebrow. "You're lying."

"You think you're the only one who wants to get in that tomb underneath the old church?" Logan smirked wider, showing red teeth, when Damon's eyes widened.

"If you're lying to me, I will end you."

Suddenly a car pulled up, and Caroline stepped out.

"Is Jenna okay?"

Damon sighed, and raked a hand over his face.

Klaus answered for him. "She's fine, his brother took her home."

She nodded slightly, smiling.

"I'm not lying. There is another way to break the spell. We can help you. Meet me at the old church." Logan said, and Damon gnawed on his lip. Everyone heard the sirens in the distance and his eyes widened.

"Take me down. Make it look real. Make it look real!" he said urgently, and he motioned for Klaus to get Caroline- and her car, away from here.

Logan threw Damon against his car and sprinted away.

Meanwhile, Klaus grabbed Caroline and ran the opposite way, depositing her someone in the trees, and then he ran back, and parked her car a few blocks away, hidden in some bushes.

By the time he came back, the Sheriff and his men were there. "I'm sorry Sheriff, I just wasn't strong enough." Damon said, feigning sadness.

~0~

Logan exited the warehouse and headed to his car, but a sound from behind him made him stop dead in his tracks.

He waited a breath, two, and then turned around.

Nothing was there.

He paused for a moment before turning back around, he noticed a man blocking his way.

One inhale was all it took to see that this man was human.

"Who are you?" Logan asked, narrowing his eyes.

"A friend of Jenna's." he replied.

"She sent you?" Logan asked, his teeth clenching.

"No." he shrugged. "I came on my own."

Logan chuckled. "Ah, I get it. Well, buddy, I know you think this makes you brave. But actually it makes you pretty stupid."

He shrugged again. "Either way, here I am."

"What do you want?" he pressed, and the man narrowed his eyes.

"Jenna is a good person. She deserves the best. I'm here to make sure she gets it."

The vampire laughed. "Was that supposed to be a threat? Couldn't you throw a punch? Maybe provoke me a little?"

"Nah." the man chuckled too. "I'm not a violent guy by design."

"Well..." Logan raised his eyebrows quickly. "You're not a very smart one, either."

"How's that?"

Logan turned his back, giving the man plenty of time to slip the wooden stake out from the inside of his jacket.

"Cause you have no idea who you're talking to." Logan's fangs appeared and the veins snaked under his eyes, ready to attack. Instead, he received a stake to the chest, and fell to the ground, dead.

Alaric, stared down at his body, and with a shocked expression, left quickly.

**Caroline's POV**

After yelling at Klaus, and trying to find – and yell at – Damon for doing what they did, I drove home in silence, annoyed and angry.

When I arrived, I saw Stefan's journal laying open in the parlor, two pictures peaking out from a few pages behind.

I glanced around curiously before pulling them out. A girl was in each black and white picture.

I looked at the first one.

 _Katherine Pierce 1864._ I held back a gasp.

_Was that Elena?_

I read the date again, and looked at the old quality and knew...there was no way that was Elena.

I flipped to the next one, and actually outright gasped, my heart pounding in shock.

_It was me._

Well, not me,  _me_ , but me nonetheless.

 _Chandra Ambrose 1864_.

It read, and I swallowed, extremely freaked out. I flipped it over and read the names on the back.

_To Damon Salvatore, Much love, Chandra xx_

My mouth dropped open and I backed away slowly, my heart pounding, my head spinning.

_What? How was this possible? That wasn't me!_

_But...she looked like me!_

Wrenching my keys back out of my bag, I sprinted back to my car.

**Third Person POV**

Damon paced around, waiting for Logan. His phone rang and he answered it.

"Hello?"

It was Sheriff Bennett. "I just wanted to say thank you. I don't know how you did it."

 _What was he talking about?_  Damon wondered.

"Um, not following..." he admitted slowly.

"We found Logan's body up by the old Fell warehouse. He has been disposed of. He was hoarding victims, innocent victims." he explained, the excitement evident in his voice.

" _What_?" he said again.

"This town owes you so much. So do I."

The Sheriff quickly hung up, leaving Damon standing there, staring at his phone, in complete and utter shock.

**Caroline's POV**

I drove down a deserted road, confused tears streaming down my face.

A million questions whirled around my mind, and I knew I needed to go back home, but right now, I didn't want to. I couldn't.

A strange man appeared in front of me, and I screamed, slamming on my brakes. The person hit my windshield, and I felt my car flip, and I tumbled over and over, glass breaking and metal creaking.

I groaned, my head aching already, glass digging into my arm.

My ears were ringing and my vision was blurred, but I saw the man, the one whom I had just hit, move on the ground. I heard the sound of bones cracking and popping, and he slowly formed back into a normal human shape and stood up. I flailed in my seat, trying desperately to get free. I gave up, my head continuing to ache. He stood up, his black hoodie covering his face, and he slowly walked towards me. I could almost see my reflection in his polished black shoes. I whimpered, my breath ragged. He slowly knelt down.

_Oh god._


	30. Bloodlines : Part One

_Previously on Everything Changes:_

_A strange man appeared in front of me, and I screamed, slamming on my brakes. The person hit my windshield, and I felt my car flip, and I tumbled over and over, glass breaking and metal creaking._

_I groaned, my head aching already, glass digging into my arm._

_My ears were ringing and my vision was blurred, but I saw the man, the one whom I had just hit, stand up and slowly approach me._

_Oh god._

* * *

**Third Person POV**

When Stefan walked into the parlor, he saw that his journal was laying open, and the two pictures, one of Chandra, and the other of Katherine, were laying on the floor.

_Had someone seen them?_

A car door slamming and the squeal of tires was heard, and he ran to the window. His eyes widened even further when he saw that it was Caroline's car, fleeing the scene.

He grabbed his phone out of his pocket, and called her, sighing in frustration when no one answered.

****~0~** **

**Caroline's POV**

A shocked scream rose up out of my throat, and I thrashed violently in my seat, trying to get out of the seat and right side up.

Suddenly, the tall figure stopped in his tracks and ran off. Not even a second later, another figure appeared. I squinted my eyes into the dark, trying to calm my racing heart.

I screamed again when Damon's face appeared.

"How ya doing in there?"

I groaned and finally realized that blood was running down my forehead and seeping into my hair. Thankfuly, now that he was here, the fear was mostly gone.

"Damon?" I managed to mumble, and he cocked his head to the side.

"You look...stuck."

I chuckled dryly. "It's my seatbelt." I said, my brain growing fuzzy from all the blood rushing to my head. "I can't...get it."

A wave of emotion washed over me and I started sniffling, despite my head screaming at me to stop being such a baby.

"Shhh. Shhhh. Shh." he said lightly, and he went around the other side, and I craned my head to look at him. "Let me get you out of there. I want you to put your hands on the roof. Can you do that?"

I nodded feebly and extended my arms, wincing.

"Just like that." he encouraged. "You ready?" he counted up to three, and I heard a faint click as the seat-belt was released. "I got ya."

He was surprisingly gently when he raised me out of the wreckage, keeping me clear of any broken glass or other potential harm.

"Are you okay? Can you stand? Is anything broken?"

My brain continued to swim and my heart was fighting to pump blood back into my legs and arms. I heard him call something to...Klaus?...maybe, but when my head was cleared, I didn't see anyone other then us, so thought nothing of it.

"Uh-uh." I mumbled trying to answer at least one of the questions. My vision blurred slightly. I blinked twice, hard, and Damon set me down onto wobbly knees.

I staggered slightly, and fell into Damon. I again felt the blood on my forehead seep down past the corner of my eye.

"Whoa." he said, and he supported my weight. "Klaus, she's fading fast." he called, and his face blurred. I saw Klaus' bright eyes appear, and then they were calling my name. I felt a hand grip my face, and knew they wanted me to focus.

"I look like her..." my eyes widened and then fluttered shut, my body completely worn out.

" _What?"_

****~0~** **

**Third Person POV**

Caroline fainted, and Damon and Klaus slowly placed her on the ground.

"Klaus, go move the wreckage, I'll take her back."

He stared at Caroline's face for a moment, and then looked to Damon. They stared at each other before he inclined his head and went to pick up the mess.

Damon brushed his knuckles over her face before picking her up.

"Upsy-daisy." he murmured lowly, and he carried her away.

_I look like her..._

Her last words danced in his head, and his heart constricted.

Had she seen  _his_  pictures?

Or had she seen Stefan's?

Damon was 100% sure he kept his memoirs of Chandra hidden, but he knew Stefan tended to keep pictures of his best friend and of his lover in his diary, right smack-dab in the open. It was likely he left them lying around, and Caroline just happened to stumble onto them.

At this point, he had reached his car and laid Caroline in the passenger seat.

"Please don't bleed all over my seats." he whispered, and buckled her in. He contemplated giving her some of his blood, but knew the fit she threw the last time.

He heard Klaus come up behind him and he turned around. "I'm going to head to Atlanta to talk to Bree, and it's agreed you're going to speak to your...connection... in Chicago?"

Klaus nodded once, and his eyes lingered on Caroline's still unconscious figure.

"She's fine." Damon assured, and Klaus chuckled dryly.

"Would you be so sure?"

He around to look down at her, and he noticed her forehead was still dripping blood.

"You need to give her blood." Klaus scoffed and nipped his wrist, pressing it to her lips.

Caroline grumbled in her unconscious stupor and pushed him away.

Damon laughed. "Even in her sleep, she fights us."

He shook his head and stepped aside. "Fine, you see if she's okay then, Prince Charming."

Damon growled and flipped him off before kneeling next to her. He gently prodded her body for broken bones or internal bleeding, but couldn't find anything.

"She's fine." his blue eyes scanned her forehead, which had scabbed up from the small amount of vampire blood she had consumed.

"Alright then." Klaus pulled her phone out of his pocket and tossed it to him. "Your brother won't stop trying to get a hold of her.

Damon shrugged and turned it off, slipping it inside his jacket pocket. He'd deal with him later.

"See you in a day or so." he waved once and turned around to get into his car.

Klaus stared at his best friend, a tinge of jealousy in his gaze.

He climbed into his car after a moment and drove off, tires squealing.

****~0~** **

**Caroline's POV**

A bright, warm light woke me from my sleep, and I felt the sun on my face.

I groaned and shifted, wondering why I was a bit chilly.

Hadn't I shut the window last night?

"Morning." Damon's deep voice chimed in and my eyes shot open.

My eyes were met with green rolling hills, and when I looked down I saw Damon's car.

"Where are we?" I asked, looking at Damon in shock.

"Georgia." he replied, shrugging.

I laughed and looked at him again. "Georgia? No, no." I gnawed on my lip and blinked. "No, we're not. Seriously, Damon, Where are we?"

His eyes left the road and met mine for a brief moment. "Seriously, we're-" he gestured outside. "We're in Georgia."

He was silent for a second, and he looked at me again, his searing gaze studying me.

"How ya feeling?"

Last night came washing in, and my sense of confusion and disorientation didn't evaporate.

_Why did Chandra and Katherine bear such an uncanny resemblance to Elena and I?_

"I...I..." my brows narrowed and my head continued to swirl.

"There's no broken bones, I checked."

I exclaimed at this, my hand lashing out to slap his arm.

"I didn't let Klaus give you any blood either." he continued, and my fingertips felt the gash in my forehead, which had a butterfly-band aid over the scabby line.

"But...my car...and that man..." The man shattering my windshield replayed in my mind.

"Oh my god, Damon, I hit a  _man_! But, he got up and... _who_  was that?"

I looked to him for some sort of explanation. If Logan was dead, and Klaus, Stefan, and Damon were the only vampires...then who was  _that_?

"That's what I would like to know."

I patted my pockets and looked around the car, trying to find my phone.

"Where's my phone?" I turned around in my seat and looked at where we had already gone. "Okay. I really need to get back to Mystic Falls.  _We_ really need to get back to Mystic Falls."

When he didn't let up on the gas, or offer an explanation, I continued, more exasperated. "Pull over. I mean it, Damon." I started to panic, and I felt my heart pound nervously in my chest. "Stop the car! Pull over!"

He sighed in annoyance. "You were so much more fun when you were asleep..."

I just had to get out of that car. I could feel a panic attack coming, and I hadn't had one of those since...since my mom died. If there was one thing I didn't want to do, it was have a panic attack, and an attack in front of Damon would be even worse.

He pulled over and I leaped out the car as soon as it was slow enough for me to get on my feet.

"Caroline!" He exclaimed.

I landed into the pokey grass and rolled once, landing on my back, staring up at the blue sky. I sat up, facing the field, running my hands through my hair. My ankle was aching and my head was still pounding, but I felt free, despite being without a phone in the middle of nowhere with  _Damon_.

I heard his door slam shut, and I sensed his hesitation to come over to me. But, after a moment, he was at my side. He crouched down and studied my face.

"Hey." he said gently, and he pushed away my hair to get a better look at me. " _Caroline_."

I looked at him strangely, not liking the look he had in his eyes. It was almost...tender?...worried?

"I-I'm fine." I sucked in all the clean, cool air I could, pulling my knees to my chest. "Give me a moment." I whispered, and I placed my forehead against my knees.

I knew he was gazing at me, probably confused at my sudden lack of fire, but I didn't care.

After a minute, I felt the strangling feeling leave, and I looked at him. "We have to go back." he took his gaze off the rolling plains and met my eyes.

"Oh, come on." he protested lightly, raising his eyebrows and looking down at me. "We've already come this far, why turn back now?"

"Why are you doing this?" I demanded, getting to my feet, ignoring the intense pain in my ankle, and my weak knees.

He got to his feet too, and I continued. "I can't be in Georgia! I have school...and...and I wrecked my car! I need to go home! This is kidnapping, you know!" I poked him in the chest and glared at him.

"Don't be so melodramatic, Blondie."

I scowled at the nickname, but I had to admit, I was secretly relieved for some peculiar reason he wasn't using my name.

"You're not being funny, Damon. I'm not going to Georgia."

"Well, you're IN Georgia. Without your magical little necklace, I might add. I can very easily make you...agreeable." he just smirked at me, patting his pocket.

My hand flitted up to my neck, and I glared at him when I found that my necklace was indeed no where to be found.

"What are you trying to prove? If you wanted me to be ' _agreeable'_ you would have  _already_  done something."

My phone rang, and we met eyes before my hand darted out to rip it out of his pocket. His large hand encircled my wrist and gently pulled it away. He took it out of his pocket with his other hand and was suddenly back at the side of the car, a few feet away.

"That's my phone." I stated dumbly, staring at him.

"Mmmm, it's your guardian angel. I'll take it." he smirked at me.

"Blondie's phone!" he exclaimed to Stefan.

I scoffed, and limped over to him, trying to get it from him. He extended an arm and pushed me away, giving me a sharp glare.

I rolled my eyes, and leaned against the car. My ankle still hurt, so I assumed I sprained or twisted it when I got out, if I didn't do that when I crashed.

"Yes, she's fine." I heard him reply.

He rolled his eyes and his head swung around to look at me. "He wants to talk to you."

I scoffed and shook my head. "Uh-uh."

"Yeah- uh," he smirked. "I don't – I don't really think she wants to talk to you right now." I heard Stefan's loud exclamation on the other hand, and he laughed.

"You have a good day. Mm-hmm. Bye now." and he hung up again.

"Look, no one knows where I am, can I please just go back?"

"Why didn't you want to talk to Stef?"

I scoffed and stared at him. "You should be glad I'm talking to you at all _._ Now can we please go back?"

"We're almost there anyways." he shrugged nonchalantly.

"Where is  _there?"_ I asked.

"A little place right outside of Atlanta. Oh,  _come on,_  Blondie." he raised an eyebrow." You don't wanna go back right now. Do you? What's the rush? Time-out. Trust me. Your problems are still going to be there when you get home. Look. Step away from your life for 5 minutes. 5 minutes!"

"My problems are here!" I exclaimed. "I look like your dead girlfriend or lover – or whatever! Why do I look like her? Why does Stefan have a picture of  _your_  girl?" I shook my head and shoved my fingers through my hair, cringing when they caught in the dried blood at my scalp.

"That's what I'd like to know." he mumbled, and my head snapped to look at him. "I'm not her, Damon."

He scoffed running a hand through his hair. He nodded. "Obviously."

"Am I gonna be safe with you?" I said, looking down at the car, and touching my neck.

"Yes." he nodded, meeting my eyes.

"You  _promise_ not to do that compulsion thing on me?"

He nodded again. "Yes."

"Can I trust you?" I squinted from the sun and searched his face.

He scoffed. "Get in the car. C'mon."

He opened my door and made sure I got in before hopping in on his side.

We drove in silence for about twenty minutes before either of us spoke.

"I don't know why you look like her, Blondie."

I looked at him curiously. "And why does Elena look like Katherine?"

He shrugged. "We don't know. Stefan and I haven't talked much about it, but Klaus has a word for it...  _Doppelganger._ "

My brows furrowed. "What's that?"

He shrugged. "Some complicated thing, don't worry about it." he looked at me fully this time.

We drove in silence again.

****~0~** **

**Third Person POV**

"Bonnie." Stefan greeted, walking over to her.

She smiled slightly, but he knew he made her slightly uneasy. "Stefan..."

"Hey." he smiled, and she smiled again, more real this time.

"Hi."

"I haven't seen you lately, how are you doing with everything?"

She tensed up, and replied. "I'm fine, it's all fine." she shifted weight awkwardly.

"Good. Yeah." Stefan smiled, and looked around.

"Are you back in school?"

He shook his head. "No...uh, actually I came here to find you. I was hoping you could help me with something...a spell."

"Stefan, look, I know Elena and Caroline are mostly okay with all of this, and I appreciate what you did to help me. But I'm not really ready to dive into it with you just yet."

He nodded, always a gentlemen. "I understand that. But I need your help. It's Elena and Caroline. Caroline's with Damon, and I can't find Elena anywhere. I have Elena's necklace." he held up an old necklace Bonnie had only seen her wear a few times. "And I have Caroline's jacket." he held up her cardigan. "I was just hoping you could use this to make some sort of a connection. I just need to know that they're okay."

She chewed on her lip. "How do you know that I can do this?"

"Because I've known a few witches over the years. I've seen what they can do." he explained, and she nodded.

"I'm still new at it..."

They walked over to a picnic table and sat down. "It's okay. Give it a shot?"

She nodded and grabbed Elena's necklace first, closing her eyes.

After a moment, she furrowed her brows and tried with the cardigan.

"There's nothing. Nothing's happening. Usually there's an image or... tell me if anyone's looking..."

Stefan nodded.

Bonnie caught a leaf and tried to get it to float, but nothing happened.

"Something's wrong."

"What is it?" he asked looking concerned.

"There's something wrong with me." She stood up abruptly, grabbing her things. "I have to go. I'm sorry, Stefan. I can't help you." she walked away quickly, and Stefan stared after her, looking crestfallen.

What was he going to do now?

****~0~** **

**Caroline's POV**

"So, where's my car?" I asked after a few more minutes.

The radio's dj blabbed on in the background, and I turned it down. "Damon."

He sighed and rolled his head to look at me. "Klaus moved it to the side of the road. Don't worry, no one will bother it."

"Won't someone see it?" I raised an eyebrow and he shrugged. "Nah."

"What about that man in the road...was he a...?"

Damon cut me off with a nod. "From what I could tell, yeah. I mean, humans can't get hit with a car and then suddenly get up and walk away." he rolled his eyes as if my question was a burden to him and I sighed.

"You didn't know him?"

"If I've never met him, I wouldn't know him. I mean, it's not like we all hang out together at the Vamp Bar & Grill."

"You don't?" I asked sarcastically.

He came to a stop, and I looked around and realized we must be where 'here' was.

"Where are we?" I craned my neck to look out the window, and sighed. "Damon, they won't let me into a freaking bar. I'm not old enough."

He shrugged and got out of the car, and I followed suit.

"Sure they will." he smirked knowingly. And we walked in.

_Great, just great._

A dark skinned lady, whom was serving people at the bar, glanced up when we walked in. We took a seat at the bar and she looked back down, but her head shot up again, her eyes alight.

"No, no, it can't be!" her voice had a southern twang to it. "Damon. My honey pie." she grinned and grabbed Damon's face, kissing him.

I looked away awkwardly, taking in my surroundings.

The bar was slightly dark, with red bar stools lining the bar and a few booths against the wall of the entrance.

"Listen up everybody!" she shouted, and my attention was turned back to them. "Here's to the man that broke my heart, crushed my soul, destroyed my life, and ruined any and all chances of happiness!" she slammed down three shot glasses onto the table and poured some sort of alcohol into them.

"Drink up!" she said, and raised her glass into the air.

Damon was doing the same, and I shot a glance over my shoulder to see everyone else was holding up beer bottles, or shot glasses as well.

They all took a swig of their drink, and Bree and Damon both exhaled, with an "Ahhh."

I noticed Damon's hand sneak across the table and he drank mine, his eyes dancing. He wiggled his eyebrows at me and I scoffed, rolling my eyes.

Bree sat her glass down, and turned her attention to me. "So, Blondie. How'd he rope you in?" She poured me another shot, waiting for me to respond.

Damon laughed at the nickname she seemed to pick up on.

I laughed. "No way, I am  _not_  roped in." I shook my head. "Not even in a million-"

"Honey, if you're not roped, you're whipped." she chuckled, not caring she cut me off. "Either way, just enjoy the ride." She smiled and poured more alcohol for me.

And again, Damon drank it for me.

"Okay..." I said slowly. "How did you two meet?" I rested my elbows on the table, and placed my fists under my chin, looking at the both of them. I found them to be a strange ex-couple, because even though she seemed to be fiery and outgoing, she didn't seem to be his type.

"College." she replied, smirking at Damon.

He smirked back, obviously thinking of whatever memory she was.

I pictured Damon in college and blinked twice.

_What? College? No way._

I stared at Damon incredulously. "You went to college? You, Damon Salvatore? Uh-uh.  _No_  way." I laughed, shaking my head.

She nodded. "Yep. About 20 years ago, when I was a  _sweet, young freshman_ , I met this  _beautiful_  man, and I fell in love." She leaned closer, lowering her voice, her eyes fixated on Damon's blue ones. "And then he told me about his little secret, made me love him more. Because, you see, I had a little secret of my own that I was dying to share with somebody."

She bit her lip and grinned, and I felt Damon's warm breath against my ear.

"She's a witch."

I shivered, despite my urge not to, and simply nodded.

"Changed my world, you know."

He smirked wider. "I rocked your world."

I coughed, and swallowed awkwardly.

"He is good in the sack, isn't he?" She smirked at me, and I raised my eyebrows.

"Uh-"

"But mostly he's just a Walk-Away Joe." she interrupted again.

 _So much for 'southern hospitality'..._  I thought.

"So," she said, staring at Damon, and it was then I noticed something in her eyes.

_Was she not happy to see him like I thought? Was she pretending?_

"What is it that you want?"

****~0~** **

**Third Person POV**

Bonnie sat inside her Gram's house, looking through some of her old spell books. Now that she knew her Grams wasn't crazy, she was intrigued at the number of books she had on spells. It was almost too many to count.

"Thank god you're back." Bonnie exclaimed when her Grams walked in her front door.

Grams raised an eyebrow. "And hello to you too, what's the matter?"

Bonnie gnawed on her lip before admitting, "My powers are gone, Grams. I can't do anything, even when I concentrate. And there's nothing in in any of these books that can tell me how to get them back." A note of terror was in her voice, and Grams held up her hands, sitting next to her on the couch.

She rubbed soothing circles on her back. "Hang on now, just calm down. Tell me what happened."

Bonnie's brows furrowed, and she was reminded of the promise she made to her friends. "I can't" she shook her head urgently, and Gram's furrowed her brows.

"We keepin' secrets now?"

She sighed and looked down. "I have to. I'm sorry. I promised.  _Please_ , help me."

Grams nodded after a moment and took the book out of Bonnie's lap. "Well, first of all, there's nothing in any of these that's gonna help you. If you're blocked, it's in here." She tapped her granddaughter's forehead.

"You gotta clear it out, and then you're back in business."

Bonnie mirrored Gram's previous expression, her forehead creased. "Clear what out."

Grams stood up and looked down at her, her eyes wide. "Whatever's got you so scared..."

****~0~** **

**Caroline's POV**

"Here." Damon said, sliding my phone to me. "Go call Stefan, he won't leave me alone." he rolled his eyes and I nodded, taking my phone with a glare and stomping outside.

I called Stefan back.

"Damon, if you even-" Stefan threatened and I sighed.

"It's me, Stefan."

"Caroline." He sighed. "Is Elena with you?"

My mouth dropped open, slightly offended. "I'm fine, thanks for asking. And no, she's not."

He didn't reply for a moment. "Sorry. I can't find her anywhere, and neither can Bonnie. Where are you?"

"I'm fine Stefan. I'll be home soon."

I hung up, rolling my eyes. He didn't even care about me, only wanted to know if little  _Elena_  was okay. Wow. Just wow.

**~0~**

**Third Person POV**

Inside the bar, Damon was listening into the conversation. When he asked her about Elena, he furrowed his brows.

_Why would Elena be with them?_


	31. Bloodlines : Part Two

**_Previously on Everything Changes..._ **

_He didn't reply for a moment. "Sorry. I can't find her anywhere, and neither can Bonnie. Where are you?"_

" _I'm fine Stefan. I'll be home soon."_

_I hung up, rolling my eyes. He didn't even care about me, only wanted to know if little Elena was okay. Wow. Just wow._

_**Third Person POV** _

_Inside the bar, Damon was listening into the conversation. When he asked her about Elena, he furrowed his brows._

_Why would Elena be with them?_

* * *

Damon heard the phone ring again, and Caroline answered with a huff.

"What?"

He hardly heard Stefan's reply.

"Sorry Caroline, Jenna and Bonnie are just asking a million questions I can't answer." the younger brother sighed. "Tell me where you are, and I can come and get you."

Damon stared hard at the blonde's reflection in the glass portrait hanging on the wall. She shifted her weight onto another leg and ran her fingers through her hair.

"How am I connected to Katherine and Chandra, Stefan? Damon won't tell me much."

There was silence on the other line, and she growled lowly in frustration. " _Fine_. Don't tell me then. Guess I'll have to just show the picture to Elena myself when I get home."

He smirked. Wow, Blondie was being devious. Didn't she know curiosity almost  _always_  killed the cat?

Stefan made some noise of protest, and she took a deep breath.

"Whatever Stefan, I'll deal with this later." she hung up and turned around. Damon was behind her, looking at her with a strange look.

"You okay?"

Caroline scoffed. "Don't pretend you care. I know you don't give two shits about me or your own brother."

Inside the bar, Bree turned on a blender, and picked her cell phone up, dialing a number. "Hey, it's Bree. You'll never guess who just walked into my bar with some girl who's as fiery as yours was."

In Mystic Falls, Bonnie woke up with a start just outside an old tomb. She stood up, rubbing her head anxiously.

"Ow." she grumbled to herself, and walked around. "Hello? Anybody...?"

The ground gave way to her feet, and she screamed, the earth swallowing her up.

**Stefan's POV**

I sighed, staring up at the older house. This was my best chance at finding Bonnie. I knew I had to do this.

I went onto the front porch and knocked on the door, waiting for the owner to answer.

Bonnie's Grams peered up at me, her eyes darting around.

"Hi." I greeted, trying not to come off as threatening.

She narrowed her eyes slightly. "Can I help you?"

"I'm Stefan." I extended my hand. She would know that I meant Bonnie and her absolutely no harm the moment she touched me. "I'm a friend of Bonnie's."

Her small hand slipped in mine and shook once, firmly.

"Her dad told me that she might be here."

"She was." her brown eyes studied me. "Not anymore."

"Do you know where she went?"

Grams shook her head. "No...but you do."

_I did? What?_

"I'm sorry?"

Grams raised a thin eyebrow. "I told her to face down her fear. And I'm sensing now that you know exactly why she was scared. You know what I am. And yet you offered me your hand, which means you wanted me to see that I can trust you."

I smiled. I had a feeling she would figure that out. "Can you?"

Her face was expressionless. "I trust you'll keep her safe. You'd better be on your way, then. I'm not going to invite you in. I'm sure you understand why.

I nodded once, thanking her before turning around and heading away.

**Caroline's POV**

A white later, Damon and I sat at the same place we were a few hours ago. I was annoyed at first, but then, much to my own discomfort, I began to enjoy Damon's company.

I popped a fry into my mouth, chewing thoughtfully. "Let's just say that I'm somehow one of Chandra's great-great-great-great-great grandchildren. Does that make me one billionth vampire or something?"

Damon smirked. "Vampires can't procreate, but...we love to try." his smirk widened at my eye-roll. "No, if you were related, it would mean that Chandra would have had to have a child before she was turned."

"So the same thing would have to happen with Katherine, since Elena looks just like her?"

Damon nodded, and I ate another fry. "Bingo, Blondie."

I ate in silence before a strange thought came to mind. "Are you and Stefan trying to use Elena and I as...replacements?"

Damon laughed and raised an eyebrow. "Kinda creepy if you ask me."

I pulled a stray onion and pickle off my burger.

_Hm, must of missed them when I picked them off earlier._

"You don't like pickles? What's  _wrong_  with you?" Damon asked in mock disbelief. He snatched the pickle off my plate and popped it into his mouth. I made a face.

"How can you even eat if you're technically...dead?"

He gasped and mock-whispered. "Dead?" he shrugged. "It's not such a bad word, Blondie. As long as I keep a healthy diet of blood in my system, I function normally."

I nodded thoughtfully, not missing how...normal...he was acting. "This friendly thing you're doing...is any of it even real?"

Bree walked back over to us, and she handed Damon a beer. "Here you go."

He smiled. "Thank you."

Bree looked to me, to see if I needed anything.

 _What the heck, why not._  I thought and a heart-beat later I heard myself say. "I'll have one too."

Damon turned and looked at me from the corner of his eye. "Hmm? Blondie, have a beer?  _Wow!_ "

I rolled my eyes. "Time out, remember? For 'five minutes'? Yeah, well, this five minutes is going to need a beer."

_Or four..._

Bree smiled at me, handing me a cold amber bottle. "There you go."

**Bonnie's POV**

I came to later, groaning as I sat up.

Did I fall through the ground?

I glanced around the old tomb and got up, thankful that I was unhurt.

I slipped my phone out of my pocket and held it up, desperately trying to get some service.

"Come on, phone!" I grumbled, and sighed when it continued to beep, not getting anything.

"Great." I sighed and looked around, noticing a huge stone door with a pentagram on it. A strange feeling washed over me, and I could have sworn I heard a strange guttural groan. Was this what Emily was keeping from Damon? A bunch of old...vampires?

Suddenly, I felt someone tap my shoulder and I screamed, whirling around, flailing. "Get away!"

"Bonnie!" I knew that voice! "It's me! It's Stefan!" he gently grabbed my wrists, which were punching and slapping the air, and I exhaled slightly.

"The ground gave way, and I fell..." I babbled and he nodded.

"It's ok. It's ok. Calm down."

I took another deep breath and nodded.

"Come on, let's get you out of here."

I furrowed my brows and peered in confusion at him. "How?"

I heard his soft reply. "Just close your eyes. Trust me." I did as he said, clenching my eyes shut. I felt his arms wrap around my waist, and a slight breeze brush my face.

I felt his arms leave, and his voice met my ears again. "You can open your eyes now."

I cautiously opened my eyes. I was back on the surface.

"Whoa." I mumbled and Stefan chuckled awkwardly.

"I didn't want to scare you."

"How did you know where I was?" I wondered aloud, looking up to the partially full moon, casting light down onto the forest.

"Well, your grandmother told me what you were doing. I guessed the where." he explained, and we slowly walked away from the hole.

"I heard them... down there... behind the door." I said quietly, the sound replaying in my mind. "Are they in pain?"

"In the beginning... yes. But not anymore. They've starved to the point of desiccation."

I glanced over to look at his expression. It was void of any emotion, and I could tell that he probably knew someone in there, like Damon and Klaus did.

"But if they have blood-" I said, instead of questioning him about whom he knew.

"That's not going to happen, Bonnie. They can't get out. Emily saw to that when she had you destroy the crystal. You're safe." He laid a hand on my shoulder, and we continued to walk back to our cars in silence.

**Caroline's POV**

It was just starting to get dark when Damon, Bree and I were on my third round of shots. Some creep from down the bar bought me just one, and Damon had been teasing me all night about how shocked he was that I'd had one beer, so who was I to turn down a free shot? This was ten minutes ago of course, and Damon and Bree wanted to join in on my 'fun'.

"That's 3!" I exclaimed, slamming down my glass quickly and smirking at Damon. I clapped my hands once and did a little dance in my seat.

Damon had some dribbling down his chin and I laughed. "Bree, I think he needs a bib."

She chuckled and went to assist someone else.

He rolled his eyes in response. "I'm sorry I can't unhinge my jaw like a snake, Blondie."

I laughed, feeling free as a bird. I could feel the alcohol coursing through my veins, making me feel a little tipsy, but I wasn't a lightweight. My drunken days of mother-mourning and partying gave me quite the tolerance. "Whatever. All right!" I turned to a few of the people who had joined us in shots. "Who's next? Another round, Bree?" I called, giggling and spinning back around on my bar stool to look past the counter.

I felt Damon's gaze on me, but ignored it. Let him stare!

"Honey, you should be on the floor!" a lady called, and I giggled.

"I'm not even drunk! My tolerance is wayyy up here!" I held my hand over my head and hopped up, feeling antsy.

"Here you go." she said, and poured another row of shots. I grinned and downed mine before going over to play pool. After a while, my phone rang. I groaned, seeing that it was Uncle Zach.

"Hello?" I asked, plugging one ear. The bar had gotten progressively louder as night arrived.

I heard him call my name and I said. "Zach! Hold on, it's loud in here."

I went outside, totally forgetting about my 'captor' slash 'drinking buddy' for the time being.

"Caroline. Where are you? Stefan says you're with Damon?"

"What?" I let the door swing shut and stepped farther into the alley-way. "I'm good. Everything's completely fine!"

I heard him reply, but the music still managed to seep through the door. "I can't hear you, hold on."

I walked towards the middle and pressed the phone tighter against my skull. I tripped over something, and dropped my phone with a clunk.

"Great." I sighed, bending down to pick it up.

"Hello? Still there?" I asked when I stood back up.

Suddenly, someone's hand was clamped around my mouth, and my phone clattered to the pavement.

**Third Person POV**

"Hey, where's your girl?" Bree asked Damon, who didn't correct her.

Caroline had made it clear that she was  _not_ anyone's girl, but Bree kept calling her  _his_. Who would he be to correct her?

Damon glanced over his shoulder, peering at the pool table where he had heard and seen her a few minutes before.

"Hmmm." he furrowed his brows, his eyes scanning the crowd. "She  _was_  right there."

Damon glanced around the bar, and looked over to the side door. He got up and headed that way, pushing past the people in his way.

When he stepped outside, he glanced around, eyes and ears trained for anything out of the ordinary.

 _Was that her phone?_  He wondered, and bent down. He picked it up, and sure enough, it was.

The wind blew just then, and he narrowed his eyes, walking around the bar and towards the back.

**Caroline's POV**

When I came to, a vampire was hovering over me, his eyes dark.

"You'll stay here." he commanded. "I have no intention to hurt you, only your damn boy-toy."

The breath caught in my throat and I swallowed.

"Damon?"

The vampire's veins snaked dangerously and he nodded once. "Enough talk." he snapped. "Now hush." he picked me up and set me next to a tank of something. "Stay here, girl."

My heart thudded in my chest and I sat there, waiting.

A few minutes later, Damon's familiar head of dark hair came around the corner.

"DAMON, NO!" I exclaimed, eyes wide.

Damon rushed towards me, but he was stopped halfway by the same man. He attacked him with a wooden plank, viciously beating him until he was laying on the ground.

 _I couldn't just stand here!_  I jumped down from the tank's small platform and ran towards the men.

"What the hell?" Damon groaned as he rolled over on the ground.

"NO!" I yelled.

The vampire whirled around, glaring at me pointedly before suddenly having a can of gasoline in his hand. He started to pour it on Damon, and I gasped, hands flying up to my mouth.

"Please stop this!" I cried out.

"Who are you?" Damon grunted, and I saw in the dim streetlight his bloodied face and shirt. A fragment of wood stuck out of his side, and the man laughed dryly.

"That's perfect! You have absolutely no idea."

"What are you talking about?" I stepped forward and gently touched the man's back, despite my better judgment. "What did he do?"

He quickly turned to face me, eyes pained. I drew my hand back. "He killed my girlfriend. What did she do to you, huh? What did she do to you?!"

"Nothing." Damon spat blood onto the pavement and he tried to get up.

"I don't understand, why would Damon know your girlfriend?" I asked, and he turned to me again, this time with tears in his eyes.

"My girlfriend went to visit Stefan, and Damon killed her. Got it?"

My hands flew to my mouth as he hit Damon with a bat. The pieces were clicking together in my mind.

"Lexi was your girlfriend?" the brief pause in his swing told me I was right. I desperately thought to the few conversations she and I had had. "She told me about you. She said that you were human." I blurted out, and he looked at me.

"I was." the tears that were once pooled in his eyes were now dripping down his cheeks, and I finally remembered his name.  _Lee._

"Lexi turned you?" I asked.

"If you want to be with someone forever, you have to live forever." Lee said forlornly, glaring down at Damon. He kicked him once in the ribs, almost halfheartedly, and I continued.

"She loved you." I blurted out. "She said that, 'When it's real, you can't walk away.'"

"Well, that's a choice you're not going to have to make." he rifled through his pockets for something, and pulled out a small container.

_Matches._

"Don't. Don't, please, don't hurt him—" I pleaded, stepping closer.

I heard this hiss of the match, and my heart thundered in my chest, the thought of loosing Damon strangely making my whole being ache.

"I'm doing you a favor." he spat and I closed my eyes, running my fingers through my hair.

"Lexi loved you! And she was good! And that means you're good too. Be better than him. Don't do this. I'm begging you! Please."

Lee stared at me for a long time, his shoulders heaving up and down as he panted. Suddenly, the little speck of fire disappeared and he threw Damon hard against the building, causing a few bricks to crack.

He turned towards me, his eyes now dry.

"Thank you." I said, meaning every syllable.

"It wasn't for you." he spat in reply and then left.

I ran over to Damon, shoving my blonde hair over to one side so I could get a good look at him.

"Damon." I said quietly, kneeling at his side.

He groaned at sat up.

"Guess I had this coming sooner or later, huh?" he winced and grabbed my arm, pulling his body into a sitting position against the wall.

I chuckled and sat next to him, the smell of gasoline filling my lungs.

"I'm surprised it doesn't happen more often."

He coughed up blood, grimacing. "Yeah, me too."

We sat in a semi-awkward silence for a few moments. "Thanks, by the way." he said, and I turned to look at him.

_Damon Salvatore using his manners? Wow._

I grinned widely. "I saved your life, mister!" I nudged him with my shoulder. "And don't you forget it, either."

He chuckled. "I won't."

We both got up and he wiped his hands off on his gasoline-soaked jeans.

"I'm going to go get-" he said, and I held up a hand.

"I don't want to know what you're going to do." I said, knowing he was probably go eat some random stranger and kill Bree or something. "I'll be in the car." I started to walk towards the alley. "I'm a bit drunk – and tired." I turned back, but he was already out of sight.

**Third Person POV**

Stefan walked away from Bonnie's Grams' house, deep in thought. She sounded like she wanted to help protect the town from Klaus and Damon, but her main priority was Bonnie first, which was understandable. He hoped he wouldn't have to push her morals too much. She was such a kind lady.

Very early the next morning, after Caroline had slept in the backseat of Damon's car for a few hours, he woke her up and they set back off to Mystic Falls.

"Why did you bring me with you anyways, Damon?" she asked, turning her gaze from the window to look at Damon.

He pondered his words for a brief millisecond before speaking. "Well, you aren't the worst company in the world, Blondie." he smirked. "You should give yourself more credit. You aren't as sulky as the others say."

She groaned, not wanting to be reminded of the slight hang-over she had. She hadn't drunk too much, but it was enough to leave her feeling blah.

"Seriously?" Caroline raised her eyebrow, and stared at Damon. "I know you well enough Damon, there was another reason."

"You barely know me, Blondie." he replied with a smirk. He paused for a beat before continuing. "You were there in the road, all damsel-in-distress-like. And, I knew it would piss you and Stefan off. And, like I said, you aren't the worst company in the world."

**Caroline's POV**

I smiled slightly. "I used to be more fun."

He laughed and glanced at me, still smirking. "You did fine, Blondie."

"I did more then fine." I mumbled, mostly to myself. "I saved your life!"

He rolled his eyes halfheartedly. "I know."

I grinned again. "And don't you forget it, mister."

He chuckled. "Wouldn't dream of it."

The rest of the drive was normal, the occasional banter between the two of us, with a few long silences. When we arrived home, Stefan and Elena were in the parlor, talking.

"Caroline!" They exclaimed, and Elena ran to me, giving me a hug. When she got closer, I realized she was crying.

"Elena?" I pulled away and looked at her, confused. "What's wrong?"

She led me into the hall. "I'm adopted."

My face fell, and I hugged her. "I'm so sorry, how did you find that out?"

She sniffled and told me how she had suspected it for a while, and went to her father's old work to find out more. "Stefan told me more about it." she swallowed.

I nodded, absorbing the story.  _Wow._ I couldn't even imagine how it would feel to learn that I was adopted.

"Caroline?" Stefan stepped into the hall. "Can I talk to you?"


	32. Bloodlines : Klaus AU

**Hey you fabulous people, here's the alternative to Bloodlines. This will not be what really happened, but I wrote this just to keep the Klaroline shippers happy! I must admit, I had a lot of fun writing this part! Treat this as an AU chapter.**

* * *

A million questions whirled around my mind, and I knew I needed to go back home, but right now, I didn't want to. I couldn't.

A strange man appeared in front of me, and I screamed, slamming on my brakes. The person hit my windshield, and I felt my car flip, and I tumbled over and over, glass breaking and metal creaking.

I groaned, my head aching already, glass digging into my arm.

My ears were ringing and my vision was blurred, but I saw the man, the one whom I had just hit, move on the ground. I heard the sound of bones cracking and popping, and he slowly formed back into a normal human shape and stood up. I flailed in my seat, trying desperately to get free. I gave up, my head continuing to ache. He stood up, his black hoodie covering his face, and he slowly walked towards me. I could almost see my reflection in his polished black shoes. I whimpered, my breath ragged. He slowly knelt down.

_Oh god._

**Third Person POV**

When Stefan walked into the parlor, he saw that his journal was laying open, and the two pictures, one of Chandra, and the other of Katherine, were laying on the floor.

_Had someone seen them?_

A car door slamming and the squeal of tires was heard, and he ran to the window. His eyes widened even further when he saw that it was Caroline's car, fleeing the scene.

He grabbed his phone out of his pocket, and called her, sighing in frustration when no one answered.

**Caroline's POV**

Suddenly, he got up and ran off, his legs and body a blur.

Not even a second later, another figure appeared. I gasped again, my heart thundering violently in my chest.

I screamed when Klaus' blue-green eyes appeared, his face came into focus as he lowered his body more to get a better look at me.

"How you doing in there, love?"

I groaned and squinted again, the blood flowing towards my brain making me feel foggy.

"Klaus!"

He stuck his head through the broken window a bit father and looked at me, hanging there haphazardly upside down.

"You look stuck."

"Really?" I chuckled, but that soon turned into a cough. "It's my seat-belt. I c-can't get it." my heavy pants turned into soft wailing, and he quietly shh-ed me.

"I'm gonna get you outta here, love. Don't worry." I heard a creak as he bent away the metal of the car.

"I need you to put your hands on the roof, Caroline." he murmured, and I did as he said, still whimpering.

"You ready?" his soft voice kept me alert, and I nodded, each movement pained.

He counted to three and I felt my seat belt snap as he ripped it out of it's buckle. I fell to the ground, and landed partially into his arms.

"I got ya." he picked me up easily, and stood up. I felt like a rag-doll in my arm, and I felt his worried gaze on me.

"Are you alright? Can you stand?"

I groaned, my eyes squinted in the moonlight.

"Is anything broken?"

"Uh-uh." I mumbled as he slowly set me onto wobbly knees.

I started to fall and Klaus moved, letting me fall into his arms.

"Whoa, you're going fast, love. I need you to look at me." a beat. "Caroline. Focus." He held my face in his warm hands, and he held my chin in one hand, his thumb gliding down across the middle of my bottom lip.

I groaned, and tried to open my eyes, but they were heavy as lead. "Look at me. Ok."

I heard the wind blow with a gentle whoosh.

"Is she okay?" I heard another male voice ask, and Klaus sighed.

"I look like her..." I said hopelessly and my eyes sagged shut, and I faded away into the darkness.

**Third Person POV**

"What?" both men said in disbelief, and Klaus's knees bent to get a hold of the falling girl.

Klaus slowly lowered her to the ground, stroking her hair.

Once he got a good grip on her body, he stood up, swinging her to get onto his feet. "Oh, sweetheat." he murmured lowly, and Damon stared at the two of them, an unknown emotion on his face.

 _Was he jealous?_ Klaus wondered, whilst in Damon's mind, he was thinking something along the lines of.

_Does he have feelings for her?_

"We can't just leave her here." Damon said, sighing. "I still need to go to Atlanta, but we can't really take her along, can we?

"I have a friend up in Chicago you could see, while I go to Bree down in Atlanta. Her name is Gloria. Tell her Niklaus sent you." Klaus offered, and he looked to the wreckage.

"One of us needs to clean up this mess." Damon said. "Stupid vampire just had to do it this way. Stole my game." he scowled and walked over to the wreckage, kicking it. "I guess I can go see Gloria, if you wanna take Caroline home to Stefan, and you can go see Bree. He shrugged. "Doesn't matter to me. As long as we get the damned tomb open."

Klaus nodded and adjusted Caroline's light body in his arms and took off in the direction of his car, which was parked at his mansion he had had built in the woods, away from most Mystic Falls residences.

When he arrived, only a minute or two later, he laid Caroline in the front seat of his car and checked her for wounds. He found none fatal, so left her as is, because he remembered the fit she had thrown last time a vampire tried to help.

An idea popped into his head, and he grinned wolfishly.

"Uh-oh." Damon said, suddenly behind him. "I know that look."

Klaus chuckled and climbed into his car.

"Stefan's not gonna like that..." he continued and Klaus rolled down his window.

"Relax, I'm taking her home."

Damon's face changed, and he almost looked relieved.

He chuckled and pulled away, heading down the rough road leading to the one headed south towards the Salvatore Boarding house.

~0~

He drove by the Boarding House slowly, and looked down at the unconscious girl. Another smirk passed over his face and he pressed down on the gas, taking off.

**Caroline's POV**

I woke to the sound of humming, and the warm sun rays on my face.

 _Where am I?_  Was the first groggy thought that came to mind.

I groaned as I shifted, and opened my eyes all the way.

My heart leapt in my chest as I was met with the sight of long green pastures and rolling hills.

"Good Morning, love." a deep British voice greeted and I shifted in my seat. It then hit me that I was in Klaus' car, in the middle of nowhere.

I gasped and looked around again. "Where are we?"

He shrugged. "Georgia."

I blinked a few times, unsure if I had heard him right. "Georgia? Uh...n-no. No. we're not. Stop playing games, Klaus. Where are we?"

"I'm not playing games, love, we're in Georiga. On the way to see a friend, actually." he paused and looked at her carefully. "How are you feeling, sweetheart?" his voice was soft, gentle.

I narrowed my eyes and did a mental check. My head ached, my leg felt swollen and I might have had whiplash, but I was fine. "I..."

"There's no broken bones, I made sure."

That got me out of my stupor almost immediately. "I'm not you're sweetheart." I snapped, and glared out the window. "And keep your hands to yourself."

He chuckled lowly. "I had to make sure you weren't mortally wounded. Couldn't have you dying out in the street, now could we?"

Last night came rushing back crystal clear and I mumbled, "But my car... there was a man... I hit a man. But then he got up, and...-who was that?"

"That's the million dollar question." he laughed lightly again and smiled.

I was silent for a moment, assessing my situation. I patted my pockets and looked around for my phone.

"Where's my phone...?" he didn't reply, and I felt panic set in.

_Not good._

"Ok, we  _really_  need to get back.  _I_ really need to get back. No one knows what happened – no one knows where I am." I tugged at the door handle, which was locked, and my cold fingers tugged at the lock.

"Pull over." he did nothing of the sort. "I mean it, Klaus. STOP THE CAR."

I looked at him, tempted to slap him or do something. "You were so much more peaceful when you were asleep, love."

He pulled over and the minute we were almost to a complete stop, I threw open my door. I propelled myself out the car, feeling panic-y and uneasy. I had not had a panic attack since my mom died, and I wasn't planning on having one here, in front of him.

"Caroline!" he exclaimed, and my feet hit the grass on the side of the road, and I lost my balance. I rolled once and was left staring up at the sky, out of breath.

I heard his door shut and I sat up.

"Sorry." I mumbled, knowing he could hear me."Please give me a minute."

I pulled my knees to my chest and hid my face, taking deep breaths.

I heard a soft whoosh, and could feel his presence close to me.

" _Hey._ " he said softly, and I pulled my tear-stricken face away to look at him. His expression was almost worried, and his blue-green eyes were pools of emotion. He pushed a lock of hair away from my face, staring at me. "Caroline?"

For a moment, he almost looked  _human_.

But then, I remembered who he was, and who he was friends with, and sighed.

"I'm fine." I breathed, and shot him a strange look before looking away.

After a moment or two, the feeling was gone and I looked at him fiercely. "We have to go back."

He smirked, exhaling through his nose with a huff. He shook his head and gestured around. "C'mon, love. We've already come this far! It would be a shame to turn around and head back."

"No, it wouldn't be a shame! I can't be in Georgia! I wrecked my car. I need to go home! This is kidnapping, you know!"

He chuckled, shaking his head. "Don't be so melodramatic, love."

I rolled my eyes and got up quickly, momentarily forgetting my shaky knees. "You're not funny. You can't do this. I'm  _not_  going to freaking Georgia!" I threw my hands up in annoyance.

"You're  **in**  Georgia." he pulled my vervain locked out of his pocket and he smirked wider as a look of horror passed over my face.

"I can very easily make you more agreeable, love." he put it away, giving me a pointed look. "Don't give me a reason to."

I shook my head in disbelief, staring up at his face. "If you wanted me to be 'agreeable' you would have compelled me the moment I woke up."

He opened his mouth to reply, but my phone ringing cut him off.

"That's my phone." I stated dumbly, and he nodded, pulling it out of his pocket.

"Oooh, it's a Salvatore. I'll take it." he raised an eyebrow and sent me a playful grin. "Caroline's phone!"

I heard Damon's loud, annoyed voice on the other end.

"She's right here, Damon."

He chuckled, and shook his head in amusement at his reply. "She's fine. No, I didn't want to take her home. I wanted some company."

He waited a moment, and pulled the phone away from his mouth to say to me.

"I was supposed to take you home...whoops." he smirked. "Stefan is furious."

"Speak of the devil..." he said quietly a moment later, and he looked at me. "He wants to talk to you."

I shook my head, the pictures flashing back into my mind.

"Uh-uh."

"She doesn't want to talk to you right now." he replied cordially, and cut off one of the brother's again. "You have a good day. Mhm. Good-bye."

"Look, no one knows where I am. Can we please just go back?" I pleaded, and he shook his head.

"That's the point. We're almost there anyways."

I walked over to the road and sighed when I saw no cars. "Where is there?"

"A little place right outside of Atlanta. Oh, come on, love. You don't wanna go back right now. Do you? What's the rush? Time-out. Trust me. Your problems are still going to be there when you get home. Look. Step away from your life for 5 minutes. 5 minutes!" he encouraged, smiling wolfishly.

I groaned in frustration and ran a hand through my hair, wincing when it caught in the blood matted at my scalp.

"My problems are here too!" I exclaimed, and whirled around to look at him. "I look like you and Damon's ex-girlfriend, lover, whatever! And my friend looks like Stefan's! Why would Stefan keep pictures of your ' _lover_ ' and his own?" I scrunched up my nose. "I'm not this Chandra girl, and I know it's strange our similarities, but I'm  _not_ her. Why do we even look alike?"

He shrugged, but I could tell he knew.

"Ah, come now, just take a break from all that." he urged again, and I sighed, knowing he wouldn't answer my question until he was good and ready.

"Am I going to be safe with you?"

He nodded. "Yes."

"Is your word worth anything?"

He nodded again.

"Do you promise not to compel me? Can I trust you?"

"Get in the car, c'mon." he opened my door, evading my question.

I huffed in frustration and climbed in.

We drove in silence for a while, until I got tired of the slightly awkward silence.

"So, uh, where's my car?"

He turned to glance at me. "Damon pulled it off to the side of the road. I don't think anyone would bother it."

"What about the man in the road? Was he a..."

"From what Damon and I saw, yes." he tapped his fingers on the steering wheel to the beat of the soft classical music that was playing in the background.

_Strange, I hadn't noticed that._

"You didn't know him?"

He chuckled and shook his head.

"Why do I look like her?" I asked again, hoping this time he'd answer.

He turned and looked at me seriously. "The word for this..." he gestured to me. "is called a doppelganger. It's quite complicated and I'd rather not get into it now, love."

I sighed, and turned to look out the window. We had arrived into a small town, and I saw a sign that said,  _'Atlanta, 20 miles north'._

We pulled up to a little place called  _Bree's Bar_.

"Uh, Klaus." I said, looking at him. "They won't let me in, I'm underage."

"Sure she will." he said, climbing out. I got out hesitantly and followed him to the door. We walked in, and sat down at the bar.

A dark skinned lady walked around from the back, and shrieked.

"No." she gasped, holding her hands up. "Get out of here!"

Klaus chuckled, and smirked. "Easy, love, I'm not here because of last time." he tapped the bar. "I'm here for Damon."

Her face lit up a little bit, and she walked over to the bar, and poured us all shots. She lifted up her shot and spoke loudly, across the whole bar.

"Listen up! Here's to Damon Salvatore, the man who broke my heart, crushed my soul, destroyed my life, and ruined any and all chances of happiness!" Bree took a swig of her shot, and suddenly she had a wooden stake in Klaus' chest.

I gasped, and looked at her in shock.

She had another one in her hands, and she was looking at me nervously. "Are you one too?"

My eyes widened, and I looked at Klaus, who had started to get gray.

_Oh my god._

I swallowed thickly and shook my head. "N-no. I'm human. I'm Damon's nephew Zach's goddaughter. Klaus brought me here."

"Ah, so you're Damon's?" she asked, and I shook my head.

"N-no." I was still shocked that Klaus had just died, and she had done it with such ease.

"How'd he rope you in?" She asked, practically ignoring my past statement.

"I"m not roped in." I repeated, and she chuckled.

"Honey, if you're not roped, you're whipped. Either way, just enjoy the ride." she drank Klaus' shot, and turned around to put away the stake. I heard the sound of flesh moving and my head whipped around to Klaus, who was gone. At the same time, I heard glass break, and saw Klaus holding up Bree by the neck.

"C'mon, love. We have some questions to ask." he turned around and smirked at me.

Klaus suddenly turned around to face the bar. "HEY!" he shouted, and everyone turned to look at him.

I anticipated what he was doing, and plugged my ears.

" _You won't remember what happens, or hear what happens. You'll think Bree is off for the day. Carry on."_

I heard him faintly, but felt no forceful presence on my mind.

_Guess I was okay._

Bree stared at me, silently begging for help. I gnawed on my lip, seriously not wanting to see what Klaus would do.

"I-I'm going outside. Can I have my phone back? Stefan's probably worried sick."

Klaus turned around, his lips pursed. "Don't go anywhere." he stared at me for a moment, his face blank, before tossing me my phone. I caught it, and walked outside without another word.

"Hey, Stefan." I greeted, once my friend picked up.

"Oh my god Caroline, thank goodness you're okay. Have you seen Elena?"

I scoffed. "Are you seriously kidding me? Klaus just basically kidnapped me, I was in a car accident, AND I found the pictures of Elena and I's look alikes, and you're asking how  _she_  is?"

Stefan sighed, obviously upset. "Caroline-"

Suddenly Damon was on the line. "Blondie." his voice was soft, and for a moment he sounded relieved.

"Damon, what am I doing here?" I demanded.

He chuckled dryly. "I didn't expect Klaus to take you to Bree's. I was surprised when I came home, and found that you weren't there." he trailed off. "Stefan was furious to say the least."

"Stefan has these  _pictures_...Damon." I mumbled, running a hand through my messy hair. "Of Elena and I...but it's not Elena and I."

I heard his sharp intake of breath. "You found those?"

I nodded, but forgot he couldn't see me. "Yeah. I- I gotta go. I can't deal with this right now."

"Caroline-" I heard him say, and I hung up, shoving my phone into my pocket. When I turned around, Klaus was standing there, looking down at me.

"You alright, love?"

I stared up at him. "Don't act like you care." I scoffed and walked past him.

He grabbed my arm. "I do. You'll be no fun if you spend the night pouting."

We met eyes again and held the contact for a few seconds before we went back inside.

Bree was nowhere to be seen when we re-entered the bar. I swallowed nervously, wondering she Klaus had done to her.

Klaus sat down on one of of the bar stools, and I hesitantly sat next to him.

"What did you do to her?" I asked in a low voice.

He simply glanced down at me and smirked.

Bree walked around the corner, tying an apron around her waist.

"Klaus?" she asked, her face lighting up. "Well I'll be damned! That's twice I've seen you in a week!"

He chuckled. "Figured I'd stick around for a while, love."

She beamed at him and set down a shot glas in front of Klaus. "So, is this Damon's girl?" she asked, looking to me.

"No, I'm not-" I started, but Klaus cut me off.

"Of sorts, yes."

She cocked her head to the side, looking at me. "Didn't sound like she is."

I shrugged, awkwardly shifting in my seat.

"Okay, how did you and Damon meet?" I asked her.

"I met Klaus and Damon in college." she sighed, pouring some sort of vodka into our shot glasses.

"You and Damon went to college?" my mouth dropped open, trying to picture Damon and Klaus as frat boys.

"I've been on a college campus, yes." Klaus smirked and replied vaguely.

Bree sighed again. "It was about 20 years ago, when I was a sweet, young freshman, I met that beautiful man, and I fell in love. And then Damon, told me about their little secret, made me love him more. Because, you see, I had a little secret of my own that I was dying to share with somebody."

I looked closer at her expression, and saw that her eyes were glazed over.

_What had Klaus done?_

"She's a witch." Klaus murmured to me, and I peered at her curiously.

She smiled, nodding. "They changed my world. Klaus was always a bit rude to me, but he warmed up eventually." she batted her eyelashes, giggling.

Klaus drank his shot and she turned around.

"What did you do to her?" I hissed, and his blue-green eyes peered down at me. A wolfish grin passed over his face, but it evaporated as soon as she was facing us again.

"So, what is it that you want?" she cut straight to the point, and Klaus laughed.

~0~

We moved to a booth while I ate the burger and fries Bree made for me.

"So, since I'm a  _doppelganger,_  or whatever this is...does that mean that my however many great grandmothers was a vampire?"

Klaus chuckled, snagging out of my fries off my plate. "Vampires can't procreate...but we  _love_  to try, love." he wiggled his eyebrows at me, smirking.

I rolled my eyes, taking a bite into the burger.

"No, if you were related to a vampire, they would have had a child before they turned." he explained, getting a tad bit serious.

"So does Stefan think he can use Elena to replace...Katherine? Do I look like you and Damon's past love...Chandra?"

Klaus shrugged. "He might be, but that'd be kind of creepy." his eyes studied my face. "You look just like her, and that's what drew the Salvatore brothers in to you and your brunette friend."

I took my eyes away from his intense gaze, grimacing as I pulled an onion off my burger.

"Don't like onions?" he asked, and I scrunched up my nose, shaking my head.

"Not raw." I picked off my pickles as well, setting them to the side.

Klaus grabbed another fry and a pickle, popping them into his mouth. "What's wrong with you?"

"What's wrong with you?" I retorted. "How can you even eat, if you're like, y'know...dead?"

He smiled. "As long as I keep blood in my system, I function normally, love. And dead isn't such a bad word."

I peered at his face. "This nice act, any of it real?"

Bree came up, her face pained. "Here you go!" she handed Klaus a beer, her voice cheery.

She met eyes with me, and my skin prickled.

"I'll have one too." I said suddenly.

_Something about being close to Klaus must hurt...his compulsion? Better get her away._

I felt Klaus' surprised gaze on me, and looked at him.

"What?" when he didn't respond, I took the offered beer and drank some. "Time out, right? For five minutes?"

He nodded uncertainly.

"This five minutes is going to need a beer."

~0~

A few shots, a pool game, and two beers later, my phone rang. It was Zach.

I put down my pool stick and went over to the side door.

"Hello?" I asked, pressing my hand to my ear.

"Care?" Zach's voice was hard to hear, so I stumbled out into the alleyway.

"Zach? Hold on."

"Are you with Klaus?" I heard his worried voice on the other line.

I tripped over something and dropped my phone. Scowling, I picked it up. "Hello?"

My arm hair suddenly prickled, and strong arms were wrapped around me from behind. I shrieked, only to drop my phone and have my mouth covered.

**Third Person POV**

Klaus' eyes scanned the bar, looking for his partially drunk blonde companion.

"Caroline?" he called, walking over to the pool table where she was a moment ago.

"She went outside, man." a guy said, nodding towards the side door. "Got a phone call."

He was outside in a flash, looking around. The glint of light caught his sharp eyes, and he picked up her scuffed phone.

_What was it doing on the ground?_

He turned his nose to the air, and immediately picked up the sharp smell of Caroline. Following it around towards the back of the building and through a small alleyway, he saw her hanging onto a tank, up a few feet in the air.

"Klaus, no!" she called, her voice panicked.

A man suddenly ripped Caroline down off the platform, and was in front of Klaus in seconds, Caroline held in his arms.

She was trembling, obviously distressed.

"Please, let me go." she pleaded with him, her voice wavering slightly.

"Why should I?" he snarled, looking to her and then to Klaus. "You both are friends with  _him_! But the question is, who can I kill that'll hurt worse?"

Klaus' eyes flashed back and forth. "Who are you talking about?"

The man laughed dryly. "Perfect, you both have absolutely no idea."

Klaus stared at the man's face for a moment.

 _He was in the bar when I attacked Bree._  He realized.

**Caroline's POV**

"What are you talking about? What happened?"

"Your friend Damon Salvatore killed my girlfriend." he snarled in response, his arms tightening around me.

I winced at his strength.

"What did she do to him, huh? What did she to do him?" he continued.

"What did Damon do? Who did he kill?" Klaus asked, stepping forwards.

He threw me to the side, causing me to fall to the ground.

I heard him attack Klaus with the baseball bat that was suddenly in his hand.

Klaus winced in pain. I got up slowly.

"I don't understand!" I tried to distract him from hurting him.

"I got word that my girlfriend went to visit Stefan, and Damon killed her. Then you and his girlfriend come wandering in, and attack my friend."

"Lexi?" my brain frantically put together the pieces. "Lexi was your girlfriend? She told me about you. She said that you were human."

He turned to me, teeth bared. "I was."

"She turned you?" I asked again.

"If you want to be with someone forever, you have to live forever." he kicked Klaus square in the face, and I heard a sickening crunch. The smell of gasoline washed over me as I heard it being poured onto Klaus' body.

"She loved you. She said that, "When it's real, you can't walk away."" I explained, stepping forward.

"Well, that's a choice you're not going to have to make." he pulled something out of his pocket.

_Was that a match?_

"Don't, please don't. Don't hurt him-"

"I'm doing this for Lexi." he mumbled, almost to himself.

"Lexi loved you! And she was good! That means you're good too! Be better than Damon, don't do this! I'm begging you.  _Please._ " I poured every ounce of my humanity into my plea, trying to connect with him in some way.

Without looking at me, he threw Klaus into the brick wall behind him, and ran.

"Thank you." I whispered to the retreating figure.

Klaus groaned from the ground and I ran over to him. "Are you alright?"

Kneeling by his side, I saw his face was caked in blood and he had a few bloody patches on his shirt.

His cloudy eyes met mine. "Are you?"

I suddenly felt the stinging pain in my knees and palms.

 _Must have cut them when I fell._  I realized.

I nodded. "Do you need help up?"

He shook his head, pulling himself up. I had draped my arm around his shoulders, despite him 'not needing help'. He stumbled a few steps, and I heard a few cracks.

"I'll be fine."

We walked quietly back to the bar.

"Thank you, Caroline." he said lowly, his voice melodic.

I turned to him, smiling slightly. "You're welcome."


	33. Unpleasantville : Part One

_Previously on Everything Changes..._

_She led me into the hall. "I'm adopted."_

_My face fell, and I hugged her. "I'm so sorry, how did you find that out?"_

_She sniffled and told me how she had suspected it for a while, and went to her father's old work to find out more. "Stefan told me more about it." she swallowed._

_I nodded, absorbing the story. Wow. I couldn't even imagine how it would feel to learn that I was adopted._

_"_ _Caroline?" Stefan stepped into the hall. "Can I talk to you?"_

* * *

I peeked up, not meeting his green eyes. "Okay."

We went back into the parlor, Elena remaining where she was.

"I'm sorry I didn't check to make sure you were okay when I called you." he sat down on the sofa, and I took a seat on the chair across from him.

"Have you told her?" I inquired, getting straight to the point. "Because if you haven't-"

Stefan held up a hand, nodding. "Yes Caroline, I have. She wasn't too surprised. I think she might have always thought something was off."

I narrowed my eyes. Maybe Elena wasn't as thick as I thought.

"So who's her mother?"

Stefan shrugged. "I have no idea. Elena's father didn't know much about the young lady who came to the hospital."

I sat in silence, absorbing the information. "So Damon said Klaus knew something about why we look so similar. He wouldn't tell me much, but used the word doppelganger."

Stefan's expression didn't change, so I figured he didn't know much about it either.

He sighed, and picked up a box off the table. "Here, take this. It has some vervain in it. Bracelets and stuff. For you and some of your friends. I've already given Elena some for Jenna, Jeremy and a few friends, but I figured you needed some too."

I smiled appreciatively, my fingers going up to my neck. My eyes widened, "Damon never gave me my locket back!"

Stefan's eyes widened and he scowled. "I'll make sure to get it back for you, if he doesn't give it back to you first. There's another vampire in town, and we don't know what he wants, so we have to be careful."

I beamed thankfully. "But, for now." I opened the box and pulled out a dark leather and cotton cord bracelet. I saw a few vervain colored strands woven inside the cotton cord. "I'll wear this. I'll be careful." I fastened it onto my wrist.

He leaned back in the chair. "I really am sorry, Caroline."

I gazed at him for a moment before getting up, smoothing down my jeans. "I know. And I forgive you. Just keep your head out of the clouds, Stef."

He grinned weakly. "I'll try."

I went up to my room to take a long shower and work on the homework I was expected to do two days ago.

My stomach growled and I looked at my phone, laying on my bed.

_I'll order a pizza._

I dialed the nearest pizza place and ordered a Hawaiian pizza, knowing it would be enough for dinner tonight, and lunch tomorrow. "Hi, can I have a medium thin-crust Hawaiian pizza please?"

I gave them the address and hopped into the shower, washing away the gasoline and beer smell.

When I got out, Elena was calling up the stairs to me.

"Pizza's here for you, Care!"

I yelled back down that I would be down momentarily. I put on some sweats and a shirt, took my hair down out of the towel, and ran my fingers through it.

His dark eyes met mine as I came around the corner into the foyer. "Hello." he greeted. "That'll be $10."

"Hi. Uh, keep the change." I said to the guy, handing him $15.

He pulled my pizza out of the bag and handed it to me. "Thanks. Have yourself a good night." he smiled and met my eyes before walking backwards out of the house. I smiled back and shut the door behind him.

"Well wasn't he just  _adorable_?" Damon's voiced drifted in from the parlor and I turned around to see his smirking face.

"Here's your necklace back, by the way." he said, holding out a tissue. I extended my hand and stepped forward, but he drew his hand back, taking my pizza from me and setting it on the table. "Allow me." he walked behind me and I glanced over my shoulder, eying him uncomfortably.

His cold fingertips brushed my damp hair to one side, and I felt the locket meet the hollow of my throat.

"How is that not burning you?" I wondered aloud, and he laughed, his breath making the hair on the back of my neck prickle.

"The chain isn't tainted, Blondie, only the locket itself."

I didn't comment, just glanced back over my shoulder at him. "Thanks for giving this back." I touched the locket. "Honestly, I was afraid you wouldn't – or that you lost it."

He walked back to the front of me and laughed. "You think so little of me, Blondie."

I raised an eyebrow and picked my pizza up, going up to my room.

~0~

The next morning, I heard Stefan and Damon arguing in the library, I loomed in the kitchen, eating my bowl of cereal.

"Putting Elena and Caroline in harm's way- that's my concern."

"What are you talking about? I haven't touched your cheerleader." I heard a thud of what I assumed was a book.

"I'm talking about Atlanta."

"Oh, yeah, we had a blast." I heard another book thud.

"I get it, you're just bitter because I get to be with the person that I love, but you don't get to be with who you love. Poor Chandra is just out of reach." Stefan paused, and I could tell that this probably wouldn't end well. "Unless, there's another way for you to get into that tomb. Is that was Bree said?"

Damon snorted. "You're so pathetic when you're fishing."

"And you're transparent when you're deflecting." his brother retorted.

It was silent for a while, and I finished my cereal, putting the bowl in the sink. "Don't you have school?" I heard Damon's voice, louder this time, and saw him looking at me from the doorway. When I turned around completely, Stefan was at the fridge, getting a glass of water.

"Obviously." I grabbed the bag of leftover pizza off the counter, and shoved it into my backpack. "I'm late." I went to walk around him, but he blocked my way, grinning like a Cheshire cat.

"Excuse me." he stared at me, still grinning. "Move, Damon." I poked him in the chest.

"Damon, let her by." Stefan said, when his brother didn't move when I requested him to.

Damon huffed in exaggeration and stepped to the side.

~0~

The bell rang, and I made my way to the history class, even though I had lunch.

"It's just, uh, you don't actually think there are vampires in Mystic Falls?" I heard Mr. Saltzman's voice, and paused, my skin prickling at the word vampire.

"No. I mean, I think statistically there's been more animal attacks, mysterious deaths, uh, people gone missing, more than any other place in the whole commonwealth of Virginia." I heard another voice reply.

_Was that Jeremy I heard?_

"It's conjecture, but creative, which is why you got the "A." I just wouldn't get too, uh, caught up in the whole conspiracy theory of it all."Mr. Saltzman replied, and I heard Jeremy reply, but my name being yelled from down the hall distracted me for a moment. It was Elena, jumping up and down, waving at me from the other end up the hall. I waved back and pointed to the door.

"Thanks." I heard Mr. Saltzman say, my attention turned back to their faint conversation.

I went into the classroom.

"Oh, sorry." I apologized, seeing them still in conversation.

They glanced up and smiled at me before Alaric said. "Thanks again, Jeremy, and good job on that essay."

I looked at the desk and saw an old journal. I immediately recognized it to be one of the Gilbert family journals.

_What was Jer doing with one of those?_

Jeremy nodded to the teacher before exiting the room.

"Hi, Mr. Saltzman." I remembered he preferred to be called Alaric or Ric, but it was too late now.

"Hi Caroline, what can I help you with?"

I handed him the short essay he had assigned the day before the Atlanta trip. "Sorry I wasn't here yesterday. I went to visit my Uncle Zach." I looked over his shoulder at the board. "Did I miss anything that I need to makeup?"

He set my papers down and shook his head. "Nope, we just took some notes, but you can get those from someone else if you'd like."

I nodded. "I will. Thanks."

I went out to the hallway, and saw Elena waiting on me. "C'mon, you're going to miss all of lunch!"

~0~

Stefan, Elena, Bonnie and I were all sitting at the picnic table, eating lunch, when I brought up Jeremy.

"He wrote an essay about vampires." I explained, looking to Elena. "Do you think he knows?"

~0~

**Third Person POV**

Matt Donovan sat at the bar at Mystic Falls Grill, filling out a job application. Another young man walked over to him, setting a tray of glasses down on the bar.

"Matt Donovan, whaddya know?"

Matt glanced up, meeting eyes with Ben McKittrick. Ben had just graduated from Mystic Falls the summer before, and used to be on the football team.

"Ben McKittrick, what's up man?"

Ben smiled and looked at Matt. "Rough season, bud."

Matt chuckled, rubbing the back of his neck. "Yeah, kinda hard to recover when you have to forfeit half your games."

Ben looked to the entrance for a moment, as a small girl with dark curly hair walked in.

"You gonna be workin' here?"

Matt checked off a few more boxes."Yep." he smiled ruefully. "Following in your footsteps, minus the state championship."

"Well, we all can't be football gods." the bartender chuckled.

The blonde nodded and agreed.

"So, what's the plan? Cook line?" he prodded.

Matt looked around the restaurant. "Busboy."

Meanwhile, down away from the bar, yet still in the Grill, Elena, Caroline and Bonnie were having dinner, talking in low tones.

"I can't believe you're adopted!" Bonnie said for the umpteenth time. "I never saw that coming."

"Don't worry, it gets weirder!" Elena said, pausing for a ridiculous dramatic effect. She leaned forward in her seat, a smirk rising on her face. "My birth certificate even says "Miranda and Grayson Gilbert"."

Bonnie's eyes widened.

"That's why she should ask Jenna, right Bonnie?" The blonde looked to her friend, who nodded immediately. Only her aunt Jenna would know the truth...if Elena's parents had even told her!

Elena groaned, as Caroline has suggested this before.

"First of all, the real Elena we know," Caroline motioned to Bonnie and then back to herself. "Would  _always_  want the truth, and the real truth! Good or bad."

"And second of all?" Elena raised an eyebrow, taking a sip of her drink.

"You just found our your own boyfriend is a..." she leaned forward and whispered. "vampire..."

Caroline picked up on her best friend's train of thought and continued for her, in a normal voice. "So, unless your birth parents are aliens, how bad can it be?"

Elena laughed. She needed an excuse to get out of here! Friends were supposed to constantly annoy and pester friends like this, right?

She stood up, slid out of the booth, and threw down a five. "I'm going to the mall. My outfit for the dance isn't strong in the sexy department."

Without leaving her friends room for another word, she strutted out of the restaurant, bumping into the bartender, Ben, on the way out.

"Okay. We can pay the bill then. That's fine Elena, don't even chip in more then five percent!" Caroline grumbled in annoyance.

Bonnie was slowly growing used to the small changes in her brunette best friend, though she hadn't actually noticed either was happening.

**Caroline's POV**

Another person slid into the seat next to me, and I saw Bonnie's face scrunch up in annoyance.

Turning my head, I saw Damon's dark head of hair and his leather jacket. My eyes met with Bonnie's, and she rolled them.

"What do you want from me, Damon?" my witchy friend demanded.

Damon held up his hands innocently, a devious smile on his face. "I think...we need a fresh start."

"You kidnapped my best friend, and tried to kill me!"

_Yeah, that's right, he did. I hadn't had a chance to punch him for that._

"Damon!" I exclaimed, and glared at him. "I still haven't gotten back at you for that."

He raised a single eyebrow, grinning wolfishly. "Blondie wants revenge?"

When I didn't reply, he shrugged and turned back to Bonnie. "But I didn't, and if I wanted to, I would have. Doesn't that count for something?"

"No." Bonnie and I said at the same time, glaring at him.

"You know, Bonnie can start fires with her mind." I stated, leaning on my elbows. "Fires can kill you, right?"

Bonnie's mouth twitched up into a grin, and I looked at Damon, who was actually looking slightly concerned.

"I'm going to go pay." Bonnie announced, breaking the intense eye contact between Damon and her. I threw down a ten dollar bill, and Bonnie took that and Elena's five, and headed to the front counter.

"One second." I heard someone's footsteps walk over to us, and looked up to see the bartender, who looked strangely familiar, and Bonnie standing there.

"Everything okay over here?" he asked, his eyes narrowing at Damon.

"Yeah, we're fine." Damon said dismissively, waving his hand.

"I wasn't talking to you." he met eyes with me, and then looked at Bonnie.

Damon huffed a sigh and got up, brushing past Ben with a scoff.

"Thanks." Bonnie said, looking up into the man's chocolate eyes.

"Anytime, Bonnie, Caroline." he nodded and our eyes widened.

"Wait, you remember us?" Bonnie asked.

 _Who is this guy?_ I wondered, trying to place his face. I knew I'd seen him somewhere, but wasn't sure where.

"Ben." I said aloud, his name coming to mind. He was two years older then me, and had just graduated last spring.

"That's my name." he smirked and looked back to Bonnie. "You're makin' me feel old."

"No, um, sorry. I didn't mean it like that... I just – didn't know you knew us."

"I always know a pretty face." he said, smirking even wider at Bonnie, and I rolled my eyes.

Seriously? How more cheesy could you get? I mean sure, he had that older hot guy vibe, but that smirk was about as arrogant as Klaus and Damon combined.

"Uh, Bonnie." I said. "I'm going to go. I still have some stuff to do back home." I fished my rent-a-car keys out of my purse, and gave her a one armed hug.

"Bye Bon, Bye Ben." I dipped my head in acknowledgment and headed outside.

It was already dusk, and the moon was big, lighting up the whole entire parking lot.

My phone started to ring, and I dug through my purse, finally discovering it, buried under my soft makeup bag and my wallet.

"Hello?" I said into my phone, shifting my purse back onto my shoulder.

" _Hello, Caroline._ " a masculine voice said from the other end, and I furrowed my brows, a bit confused.

"Hey, who is this?" I asked, reaching my car.

I slipped my keys into my hand, and the man replied.

" _You hit me...with your car._ " he rasped.

I swallowed thickly, my heart rate stuttering at the memory of that night.

" _Is that a new one?"_ He continued, practically purring now.

By the sound of his voice, the damn vampire was practically getting off on this.

I looked both ways, clicking the unlock button on my car twice. I turned around, my lips pressed together, and my phone pressed to my ear.

The same man in the dark navy hoodie was about 15 feet away from me, the phone no longer to his head.

I heard his voice loud and clear, and my heart thundered in my chest.

I still wasn't able to see his face clearly.

"You got away from me." he took a step forward. "You won't next time."

I snapped out of my shock and whirled around, yanking my door open. I jumped into the car, locked the doors, ignited the engine and backed out as quickly as I could. I sped off down the road, not making eye contact with the damn stalker.

When I reached home a while later, I was shaky, and my eyes burned with unshed tears.

The first person I literally ran into was Klaus, with Damon right behind him, looking a bit confused.

I stumbled back away from Klaus. I was sure I looked a bit crazy, my eyes wide, my hair mussed from me nervously messing with it the whole ride home.

Klaus' blue-green eyes were narrowed with confusion, and Damon was staring at me as if I'd grown another head.

"I- He – the vampire." I looked up at the men, trying to explain the whole night into a few words.

"The one that you hit?" Damon was the first to respond.

I bobbed my head quickly, and Klaus and him met gazes.

 _They must have been looking for him._  I realized.

"Stefan!" Damon called into the house.

The brother in question came around the corner from the living-room a few seconds later.

"What?" he asked, and he looked from me to Damon. "What is it?"

"The -" I swallowed. "The vampire I hit... called me." I lifted up my phone. "He was like  _hey Caroline_ " I mimicked the man's deep voice, and rolled my eyes. "And I just replied, Hey, who is this?" heading into the parlor, I continued my story.

"He's baiting you, that much is obvious, love." Klaus stated when I was done, leaning back into the sofa.

"No, duh!" I retorted. I turned my gaze on Stefan. "What do I do? What does one do in a situation like this?"

Stefan got up, and sat down on the coffee table in front of me, fishing something out of his pocket.

I looked at the object in his hand. "Wait, is that my grandfather's pocket watch? I thought Damon had that?"

Damon's face twisted in annoyance when he saw that his brother had the watch.

"Well, I took it from Damon, who took it from Logan, who probably got it from the council when he was human." Stefan explained. "You already know it tracks vampires, so here." he pressed it into my palm.

"I'm getting that back when this is all done with, Blondie." Damon stated.

Stefan and I both shot annoyed looks at Damon.

"This was created by your ancestors." Stefan explained, and with this, Damon got up, expressing his displeasure loudly.

"UGH. I do not want a history lesson when I can relive that in my mind. I'm leaving." Damon went over to the doorway when he stopped to look towards his friend. "You coming, Klaus?"

Klaus glanced over to Damon, and I felt a strange weight leave my shoulders.

Had he been looking at me...? Or was I just being overly paranoid as usual?


	34. Unpleasantville : Part Two

_Previously on Everything Changes..._

_"UGH. I do not want a history lesson when I can relive that in my mind. I'm leaving." Damon went over to the doorway when he stopped to look towards his friend. "You coming, Klaus?"_

_Klaus glanced over to Damon, and I felt a strange weight leave my shoulders._

_Had he been looking at me or was I just being overly paranoid as usual?_

* * *

Klaus shrugged a moment later, getting up and heading over to his friend.

Elena's head popped in. "Hey Caroline?"

I looked behind Klaus and Damon to see her more clearly. "Yeah?"

"Someone's here for you." she said, glancing at Stefan.

They met eyes and I hesitantly got up, pushing by the boys and Elena. I headed towards the foyer, when I saw Uncle Zach.

_Uncle Zach?_  My inner voice questioned, and I realized I had taken up to calling him that within the past month or two.  _Must have gotten it from Stefan._

My face lit up with a wide grin. "Hey!" I ran and gave him a hug, seeing Damon look emotionlessly at him and I embracing in the mirror.

I shot Damon a pointed look before pulling away. "I'm so glad to see you! Are you back for good?"

He glanced warily over my shoulder, at Damon and Klaus, I presume, before nodding. "Yep. I talked to Stefan and he thought it would be good for me to come back." he took my hand and touched my bracelet, still continuing. "How has school and everything been?" I glanced down at our hands, and saw that he had a vervain bracelet around his wrist. It looked familiar, and knew that Stefan must have gotten it to him.

_What a smart way of showing me that._ I thought with a little grin.

"It's been pretty good! We have a dance in a few days." I smiled half-heartedly. It was then I noticed his suitcase settled next to him.

"Oh!" I chuckled. "I'm sorry, I'll go and let you get resettled into your room!"

He picked it up, and nodded. "Yep, I better go do that." He nodded awkwardly at Damon and Klaus, before promptly retreating up the stairs.

"C'ya Caroline, enjoy the history lesson!" Elena said, laughing quietly. "I told Matt I'd help him with the banner painting." she explained, and I nodded.

"Have fun."

She rolled her eyes. "Yeah, right _,_   _fun_ , with my ex-boyfriend. Ugh." pushing her hair over her shoulder and waving at Stefan, she exited the building.

I turned to head back into the living-room and noticed that Damon and Klaus were already gone.

"So why did my however many great grandfathers have this compass?" I asked when I had settled back into my seat on the couch.

Stefan smiled. "The Forbes were one of the founding families and back in 1864, they and the others sought to eradicate vampires. This compass was used to find us." he explained, his smile slowly disappearing.

I tried to picture Mystic Falls almost 200 years ago. I had seen drawings, but I bet they didn't do justice to the real thing.

"You knew them, huh?" I asked.

Stefan nodded once. "Yes. I want you to keep this. That way, you'll know if you're ever in danger – or if one of us is near by."

I pulled the compass out of my pocket and nodded slowly.

**~0~**

The next afternoon, I sat on my bed, trying to concentrate on my homework, while simultaneously planning out what I was going to wear to the dance.

A knock on my door caused me to jump. Elena's head popped in.

"Hey hey hey!" she greeted, a big bag in tow. "I figured I'd come and surprise you since the dance is tonight!" her bottom lip jutted out. "Bonnie was busy with her dad, and Stefan's no where to be found." she pouted for a beat before looking at my unhappy expression.

"What?"

Bonnie's head popped up from around the door frame before coming in as well. "Did you really think I'd be at my dad's when I could be over here with my best friends?"

"No." I chewed on my lip before grinning wide. "You guys are the best." I shut my English book and tossed it onto the floor by my backpack.

We spent the next few hours just talking and digging through my closet to see if I could make a 50's outfit for the dance.

"So, y'know Mr. Ric?" Elena asked, tossing a slightly wrinkled baby blue button up collared shirt onto my bed.

"Yeah, why?" I dug through my winter box absent mindlessly.

"Him and Jenna are like talking!" she gushed. "It's actually like really bizarre. She's going to be chaperoning tonight too."

"Really?" Bonnie's brown eyes widened, and she shot me a glance.

Elena nodded eagerly. "And, I saw some girl flirting with Jeremy at the Grill, and he actually seemed interested." she rolled her eyes. "I don't know why he'd waste his time on her, she isn't that pretty, but..." she shrugged.

I resisted the urge to roll my eyes or make some snide comment. Sure, Elena was my friend, but she could be really shallow at times.

"At least he's happy." Bonnie pointed out, and Elena shrugged.

"Mmm yeah, I suppose."

**~0~**

_Dear Diary,_

_When Bonnie was in the bathroom, Elena told me about how she confronted Jenna about being adopted._

_The way it sounded, Jenna was kind of nervous about the whole thing. Miranda, Elena's mom, couldn't have kids, and since Elena's real mom, someone named Isobel disappeared, they kept her as their own. Isobel was only 16, and a runaway when she had Elena, and Elena's day Grayson was the one who helped her and made the documentation saying it was Miranda's._

_Bonnie stepped out of the bathroom when Elena was done talking, a hand clamped over her mouth in shock._

" _You didn't tell me...?" her brown eyes were wide, and she scowled. "Seriously, Elena? I'm your best friend too, you know."_

_Elena ended up apologizing after a bit of persuading by me. I don't know what's been up with her lately._

_Sorry I haven't been talking to you as much, diary. I've been...busy. I'll have to go back and fill you in on what's been going on sometime. Though sometime I wish I could just forget the whole thing..._

_I need to finish getting ready for the dance._

_Love, Caroline_

**~0~**

I ended up pinning my hair back into a curly updo, pairing it with a pair of large brooch-like earrings. I paired my hairstyle with a baby-blue collared shirt and a pink ascot tied around my neck and finally a pink belt around my middle. I just wore simple deep purple capris and my mom's old white 'nurse' shoes.

"We'll meet you there?" Elena and Bonnie asked from the doorway of my bedroom. I nodded, still working on my makeup.

I had helped the girls' with their makeup and hair, so I was running a bit behind, as usual.

As soon as they left, I pulled the compass out from the drawer of my dresser and laid it on my bed, making sure it was open.

**Third Person POV**

On the far side of the Salvatore Boarding House, in the older library to be exact, Damon sat at a desk. He jotted down the names of all the Founders of Mystic Falls, deep in thought.

Without a glance up, Damon said. "You got the hair right."

Stefan dropped a journal down onto the desk in front of Damon. It was their father's journal.

"Why are you bringing me Dad's journal?" Damon asked, raising an eyebrow in confusion.

"Cause you were looking for it." Stefan replied dryly, looking down at the names scribbled onto the notepad.

_Thomas & Honoria Fell, William Forbes, Jonathan Gilbert, Benjamin Lockwood, & Giuseppe Salvatore*._

"And  _why_  would I want it?"

Stefan sighed. "Gee, I don't know, Damon. Maybe you wanna do a little bit of posthumous bonding. Go ahead. Enjoy it. Read it. I have. Nowhere in it does it say anything about Chandra, Katherine, the tomb, or how to open it." he pushed the journal towards his brother.

After a moments hesitation, Damon picked up the journal and flipped through the pages. A look of disgust on his face, he said, "I'm not surprised. Man could barely spell out his own name."

Stefan hid a smile. "I'm really sorry that it won't be of any help with your diabolical plan, the sequel." His brother smirked and Stefan continued. "You know...I  _could_  help you."

Surprised blue eyes met green ones. "You? Help me?" Damon asked in shock. "Aw, I don't know. Seems a little..." he waved his hand around, searching for a word. "Unnatural."

His brother shrugged, leaning against the tall mahogany bookshelf. "I'll do anything to get you out of this town, even release Katherine and Chandra."

"Really, Stef?" Damon asked, a devious look on his face. "You'd let Katherine meet E _lena_ , just so I could be out of your hair?"

He shrugged in response.

_He'd make sure that Katherine didn't get out. Sure, he missed her, but she compelled him and used his brother against him. She didn't deserve to be free._

"What about the other 26 vampires?" Damon asked.

His brother's response was immediate and forceful. "No, no, no. They  _can't_ come. They have to stay put, but Chandra, I would consider that...for you."

"You wouldn't let Katherine out, would you?"

"She plotted us against each other Damon, compelled us." he considered his words carefully. "As did Chandra."

Damon scoffed, pushing the book away and standing up. "What are you doin'? What's your angle?"

Stefan help up his hands in innocence. "Think about it."

"Why would I trust you?" he continued, cocking his head to the side.

Stefan glanced down at their father's journal. "See, that's your problem, Damon. You apply all of your shortcomings to everybody else. If history's any indication, there's only one liar among us." grimacing, he patted the book and left the room.

The burning in Stefan's throat for the fourth time that day made him finally realize he needed to hunt before he went to the dance later that night. With Caroline being targeted, and all the humans that he would be near, they couldn't afford for him to be weak. At this thought, he disappeared out into the forest.

**Caroline's POV**

I stood in my bathroom, adding the finishing touches to my makeup and outfit. I had the radio playing faintly in the background, and when my favorite song came on, I grinned and turned it up.

Little did I know, at almost this exact moment, my compass, which was laying open on my bed, was whirling around, detecting a vampiric presence.

I finished my makeup with one last pat of translucent powder, and added a simple bracelet to my wrist.

The artist sang the last line of the chorus, and I headed over to my closet to get a pair of socks.

Once I slipped them and my shoes on, I popped my head out into the seemingly quiet house. "Damon? Stefan? Zach? Any of you still here?"

There was no response, and I figured that Stefan must be out somewhere – hadn't Zach mentioned them going to the Grill? And Damon was probably out terrorizing some random girl, or with Klaus.

I sighed, and the last line of the song drifted off, and I went to shut off the music, finally ready to go. When it was again silent, I heard the clicking sound of the compass. My heart freezing, I ran over to my bed and quickly picked it up, looking at the needle. I grabbed my phone off the nightstand, and left the room.

On my way downstairs, I dialed Stefan's number.

It rang once, twice, and three times, before I gave up.

_Should I call Damon?_

After another moments hesitation I called him.

"Damon's phone." Klaus answered, and I rolled my eyes, not in the mood.

"The compass." I said, and suddenly I heard Damon as well.

"What? Is it spinning?"

"Yeah. Are either of you here? I couldn't get a hold of Stefan." I walked down the stairs, carefully keeping an eye on the compass.

"No, we're at my house, Caroline." Klaus said. "Damon's trying to get a hold of Stefan now. We're on our way."

I nodded shakily, going to the side table in the foyer, and pulling the stake out from underneath.

Clutching it in my hand, I slowly looked down at the compass. It was still spinning.

_Click click click click...click click click..._

"I heard a car, someone's here. It must be Stefan." I set the stake down. "Thank you."

"You're welcome, love." Klaus replied, and I hung up.

Not even a moment later, I felt a body collide with mine, coming from above.

_The ceiling?_  was the only thought I got in before I stumbled forward, whirling around at the same time.

I gasped in shock.

"Hello, Caroline." he purred and my eyes widening. "My name is Noah."

_It was him! The pizza guy! He was the stalker?_

He smirked, cocking his head to the side. I saw the dark veins snake out from under his eyes, and heard the hiss of his fangs extending. I swallowed nervously, making a dive for the stake, which was just to my right.

He seemed to anticipate this, in front of me in the blink of an eye. His strong arms pulled me into his chest, locking me in an iron grasp. I shrieked, and suddenly Damon and Klaus were barging through the front door.

My wide green eyes locked with Damon's.

"Caroline!" he shouted.

I could feel the white-hot pressure of fangs against my neck, and I winced, expecting more. A breeze of air rushed by me, and I was abruptly careening towards the hardwood floor, my balance lost.

I heard a crack as a hard object hit a wall...or a couch perhaps... and caught myself as the floor was suddenly a foot away. Breathing hard, I moved my gaze to see the man – Noah – slumped over the back of the couch, Klaus right above him.

Damon was at my side next, carefully helping me up. He wrapped an arm around my shoulders, his blue eyes wide. Klaus glanced over at us, and Noah used this instant to flee the house.

"Are you ok? Are you ok?" Damon asked, making me look at him.

My eyes darted to the open front door. Swallowing my fast beating heart, I nodded. "I'm okay. He didn't get me."

Klaus picked up the stake off the ground when Stefan walked in. "I got your call...  _what_   _happened_?"

Damon's arm disappeared from around my shoulders and he leaned against the entry to the parlor.

"The vampire – Noah – was here. I didn't hear the compass right away, because I had music on." I explained.

"You tried to attack him, love?" Klaus waved the stake in the air.

I nodded. "Yeah. I wasn't gonna let the bastard attack me without putting up a fight."

The guys smirked. We moved into the parlor.

"So, how did he get in?" Damon demanded, looking a bit confused.

I stared at my shoes. "He was invited in."

"You  _invited_  him in?" Damon asked incredulously.

"She wouldn't invite him in if she knew who he was, Damon." Stefan murmured, and I smiled thankfully at him.

"He posed as a pizza guy not too long ago."

Klaus chuckled.

"He gets points for that." Damon said.

"Did he say what he wanted, love?" Klaus asked, and Stefan was staring into the distance, in thought. I noticed a bit of blood on the collar of his shirt.

_Must have been hunting. No wonder I couldn't get a hold of him._

"No, too busy smirking at me and then just trying to kill me in general." I snapped, getting tired of being on my guard.

"And you don't have any idea who this is?"

I shook my head.

"I don't either." Damon put in.

Stefan raised an eyebrow, unconvinced.

"Don't look at me like that, I told you we had company."

"So, there's more than one?" I asked, studying their expressions.

"We don't know." Damon said, and he sat on the arm of the couch next to his brother.

Damon and Klaus looked at each other, then back to me.

"Damon, he was invited in." Stefan said, as if he hadn't already realized this.

His blue eyes drifted back to me.

"Then we go get him  _tonight_." Damon said, smirking. "You up for it?"

I stood up, brushing off my capris. "Definitely. What do I have to do?"

"Go to the dance and have fun." Klaus said. "We'll see who shows up, and then we'll be able to take them out."

"That's a bad idea." Stefan interjected.

"Till we get him, this house isn't safe for Caroline." Klaus murmured, gesturing to me. "Or any other human that lives here."

_Zach._

Stefan was still scowling, not convinced.

"Stefan." I said, my voice firm. "I'm going to the dance, and we're going to capture – or kill – this guy. Whether you like it or not."

Klaus chuckled. "That's the spirit!"

Stefan still didn't look convinced, and I sighed. "Stefan, I'll be will the three of you, and the rest of the student body. I'll be safe."

Stefan nodded after a moment, looking up at his brother and then to Klaus, who both shrugged.

**~0~**

**Third Person POV**

The students of Mystic Falls High were all decked out in their best 50's attire and dancing to "This Magic Moment" by The Drifters.

The whole gang were scattered across the dance floor. Caroline and Bonnie were dancing in one area, whilst Elena and Stefan were talking by the punch bowl. Elena didn't understand why he had to keep such a close eye on Caroline and the rest of the dance. Sure, she had been attacked, but c'mon, it was  _her_ dance too! Damon was leaning against the wall with Klaus, scanning the dance floor and talking quietly.

Alaric Saltzman, the history teacher, was standing on the other side of the room. As a chaperone, he was supposed to be keeping an eye on everyone. The grin slipped off his face when he realized who Damon was. A red head appeared into his vision, and his name was called.

Shaking his head, and smiling, he looked down to see Jenna.

"Hey, look at you." he grinned, and Jenna blushed slightly, pushing hair behind her ear. "I figured I'd stand out less if I dressed up."

Alaric laughed. "Liar."

Jenna smiled, and they continued talking.

**Caroline's POV**

I walked over to Elena, who was standing alone.

_Hm, where was Stefan?_

"Having fun?" I asked, smiling.

She scoffed, "Not really, but this all took about two hours, so I'm at least staying half of that."

Elena laughed, and I chuckled awkwardly.

Bonnie suddenly grabbed my arm. "Care, what's Damon and Klaus doing here?"

I gnawed on my lip. "They wanted to come, they'll behave, promise."

"So, what is this, Caroline, you got some kind of threesome going on with the two of them?" Elena giggled, nudging me. "They've been eyeballing you all night." she wiggled her eyebrows at me and I grinned, hiding my disgust.

"No, but if I'm going to live with Stefan and Zach, I have to learn to tolerate Damon and his best friend." I shrugged. "It's not like I can kill either of em."

Bonnie chewed on her lips. " _There's_  a thought."

"I'll help." Elena put in, giggling again.

I pressed my lips together, trying to enjoy myself. Bonnie handed me a glass, and we clinked out glasses together.

Elena went off to find Stefan, and Bonnie was invited to dance by a senior, to which she eagerly agreed.

"Hello, love, wanna dance?" Klaus said, and I jumped, slightly on edge.

I looked at him sideways. "Not really."

His blue-green eyes studied me before scanning the crowd again. I saw his eyes narrow and he walked off, mumbling something.

_What was that all about?_

I glanced over my shoulder, trying to see what he had saw.

"What did you say to him that made him storm off like that, Blondie?" Damon was there next, and he was smirking at me...as usual.

"Nothing, just that I didn't really want to dance."

Damon took my hand before I could protest. "Well... this  _is_  a dance, and you're  _supposed_  to be having fun." he swayed us to the music. "and not plotting to kill a vampire." he breathed into my ear, causing goose bumps to trickle down my back.

When he pulled away, I looked up at him curiously. "He dances." I forced a smile and he laughed lowly.

"I got moves you can't even dream of, Blondie." he smirked again and we continued to sway.

**Third Person POV**

Across the dimly lit room, Noah, still in his hoodie, stared at the pair. A swell of emotion swayed over his person, and he swallowed bile.

Noah noticed the older vampire's head swivel towards him, and he immediately moved.

_There had to be an easier and fun way to do this..._

**Caroline's POV**

"See him anywhere?" Damon breathed into my ear, and I looked around, being the eyes in the back of his head.

"Nope."

Damon sighed. "Time to switch, Blondie." he said, spinning me, and when I was pulled back in, I was against a much taller figure.

My breath caught in my throat in unveiled surprise.

"Only me, Caroline." Klaus' deep voice whispered, and we moved back to the regular slow dance position.

I looked up at him, smiling nervously. A wolfish grin appeared on his face.

"She does dance." he mused, and I felt a blush creep into my pale skin.

"Maybe he won't show." I said, changing the subject.

Klaus didn't comment, we simply scanned the dance floor as we slow danced.

I saw Jeremy and a dark haired girl talking to Jeremy, who was manning the punch bowl.

I smiled and continued to look around.

My sight caught onto Elena and Stefan, who didn't look too happy.

_Were they arguing?_

I saw Elena go over to Bonnie and ask her something, before they both left. I sighed.

"Well, there go my two friends."

"And there goes the hooded man." Klaus replied, his arms tightening just slightly.

**T** **hird Person POV**

Elena and Bonnie finally made it to the Grill, still in the 50s clothes.

"Are you going to tell me why we aren't dancing?" Bonnie asked, for practically the seventh time.

Elena turned on her heel, just outside the entrance. "Stefan is on  _guard poor Caroline_  duty for the rest of the night, so he's not paying attention to me." she scowled. "Just because someone is bothering Caroline, doesn't mean the whole vampire world has to jump six feet to save her."

"Wait." Bonnie said, her eyes getting wide. "There's  _a vampire_ stalking Caroline? Why wasn't I told?"

Elena shrugged, and they went inside. "Beats me."

The witch sighed, and looked around the bar. She glanced at the bar, grinning to herself when she saw Ben.

"Lets sit up there."

Elena crossed her arms, stopping. "Be a little more obvious Bonnie!" She said teasingly.

"Don't rain on my hot guy parade." she retorted, and Matt quietly walked up behind them, carrying dirty dishes in a bin.

"What? It's only a drizzle." Elena said, and Ben stepped out from the back. "Ben McKittrick? Really?"

"He's hot." Bonnie hissed, and Elena snorted.

"Yeah." she said sarcastically. "A washed up jock who pours drinks for a living.  _So hot._ "

Matt, who had paused to hear the conversation, furrowed his brows.

Elena finally noticed him.

"Hey." she smiled at her ex, who didn't even look at her.

"What's up?" he asked tonelessly.

Elena scoffed, and dragged Bonnie over to an empty table.

**Caroline's POV**

I eventually met back up with Damon, and we were greeted by Mr. S – Alaric.

"Caroline! Nice to see you!" He smiled and I returned it. "Who's this?"

"Damon. Salvatore." Damon said, shaking his hand.

"Salvatore...as in, uh, Stefan?" Alaric asked, looking from me to Damon.

Damon chuckled, and it sounded a bit forced. "Yeah, he's my little brother. I'm kind of his guardian, hence the chaperoning."

"I hear he's very bright, not that I've had a chance to see for myself." Alaric shrugged. "So, Caroline, how did you and Damon meet? Through Stefan?"

My eyes widened, and I looked incredulously at Damon and then to Alaric. "Oh, no, I'm not dating him – I just live at the same place. Their Uncle Zach – is my godfather."

"So, why isn't Zach Stefan's guardian?" Alaric asked, and I saw Damon working his jaw out of the corner of my eye.

"He isn't around much, out of town for work a lot." Damon said tightly. "Which is why attendance record's a little spotty."

"Uh, family drama." I put in.

"No parents?"

"Nope – and hers are dead or gone." Damon said carelessly.

Alaric's eyes widened in shock from the bluntness of the statement. "You – uh – you live here your whole life?"

"On and off, travel a bit." Damon said vaguely.

Damon, who had gradually been getting colder to my history teacher during the conversation, was getting antsy, and I could tell.

"Really? Where? Around the states?"

The Salvatore raised his eyebrows and Alaric chuckled nervously.

"I'm sorry... I'm nosy. I don't mean to pry." he turned to me. "It was nice seeing you Caroline. See you in class Monday." he smiled a thin smile. "Nice meeting you."

"You too." Damon murmured, and Alaric patted Damon awkwardly on the arm before walking away.

"Damon." I hissed, as he stared at his retreating figure.

He looked down at me, expressionless. "What?"

**Third Person POV**

As Bonnie stared at Ben from her seat at the table, Elena was rambling on about how, "Tonight was  _so much_ better on paper."

"Ah, you're just feeling upset because Stefan's busy. Go call him tonight or tomorrow. Be bold and fearless!" Bonnie said, smiling and taking her eyes off the bartender.

Elena snorted, swirling her straw around in her water glass. "Yeah, this coming from the girl who's been eye stalking the bartender for the past ten minutes."

Bonnie raised an eyebrow, and stood up. "You're right."

She went over to the bar, and chatted up Ben. Elena watched with interest, a smirk forming on her face.

Matt walked past, and she turned her attention to him. "Seriously?"

He stopped and looked at her in confusion. "That for me?"  
Elena made a face. "Do you see anyone else in the vicinity that I know?"

"Do you need something, Elena?" Matt asked.

"Are you mad at me or something? We were fine yesterday when we were painting banners."

"No, 'Lena, I'm not mad, I-" Matt started to say, but she promptly cut him off.

" _Oh. my. god._ " she exhaled. "Then why are you being so weird?"

The blonde's brows furrowed. "I'm not? I'm working."

"You're avoiding." she retorted, looking down to her water glass.

"No, I have a table to clean, y'know, that's the kind of thing that us washed-up jocks do to make a living." he snapped, before leaving.

Elena got up with a huff, before leaving the building.

**Caroline's POV**

Damon had thought he saw Noah by the exit, so Klaus and he went to check it out.

"Hopefully he won't show." I said to Stefan, who shrugged. "So, uh, why was Elena so mad at you earlier?"

Stefan sighed and looked at me. "She's jealous that you're getting all the attention, basically."

I raised an eyebrow. "Seriously, me? You've been spending time with her all night."

He nodded slowly. "Yeah, I know, but I've kept an eye out and she's noticed that."

I exhaled a long breath. "I'm really sorry for all of this."

He shook his head rapidly. "Don't be. Caroline, you're like my little sister. It's my job to protect family."

I smiled up at him.

**Third Person POV**

Noah saw Anna walk down the corridor of the school, and sped over to her.

"What are you doing here?" he demanded.

"Trying to get the journal from little Gilbert – sticking to the plan...something you aren't doing." Anna sighed, and pulled her hands through her dark hair. "Leave the poor girl alone."

Noah shook his head, smirking. "I like her. She looks like Chandra. Chandra was feisty." his smirk grew, and Anna rolled her eyes.

"She's not Chandra. Okay? Chandra is in the tomb, with Katherine and the others." she insisted.

Her words seemed to fly over his head. "I know. But...until we open that tomb, I got her to play with."

"Don't be stupid!" Anna hissed. " _That girl_ is with the Salvatore brothers and that other vampire."

Noah scoffed lowly, and they both stepped over into the darkness as someone walked by. "They don't scare me – never have."

"You're going to ruin everything." Anna bit out, and she glared at him. "Don't do this."

He grinned and held up his hands. "You got nothin' to worry about. I'm not gonna let anything happen to you or the plan. You'll get what you came for – just let me have  _my_  fun." he trailed off, and then repeated what he said earlier. "She looks like Chandra."

**Caroline's POV**

Stefan and I stood at the punch bowl still, just chatting and observing the crowd.

My eyes landed on Damon, who had found some girl to dance with. A slight ball formed in my throat, and I swallowed it.

_I was not jealous. Why would I be jealous? Because it's not me? I don't like Damon like that! Chill out, Caroline!_

"You really can't take him anywhere, can you?" I said, nudging Stefan with a laugh.

His eyes landed on his brother, who was currently groping the girl's bottom.

"Uh, no." Stefan said.

I looked across the floor again, and my heart stopped. "Stefan, back corner." I grabbed his wrist and he looked.

"Get Damon." he ordered, and strode towards the hooded figure, pushing past dancing couples. By this time, I saw Noah exit the room, and I made my way towards Damon.

**Third Person POV**

Meanwhile, Stefan pinned the hooded figure against the locker.

_It wasn't him._

"Where is he?" he demanded.

**Caroline's POV**

I lost Damon in the crowd and I sighed.

_Dammit!_

Suddenly, my phone rang, causing me to jump as it vibrated in my back pocket.

I saw the unknown number and shakily pressed it to my ear.

"Hello, Caroline." the sickeningly familiar voice said.

I stopped dead in my tracks, my heart pounding – despite my want to  _not_  be scared.

"Here's what you're going to do."

I scoffed, cutting him off. "No. Here's what  _you're_ going to do, you sadistic freak! You're going to leave me alone, before I – or one of my friends- rips your head off and shoves it up your -" he cut me off with an, _"ah ah ah."_

His voice was calm, and it scared me. "Would you like me to kill your best friend instead?"

I blinked in shock, turning around to face the punch bowl. Elena was standing beside him, her eyes wide and tear stained.

"I can snap her neck so fast, I bet there's not even a witness. Now, start walking towards the exit behind you."

"But-"

"Five." was his calm reply.

I turned around, and speed walked to the door.

"Don't you  _dare_ touch her." I hissed, getting closer to the door.

"Four." he replied, and I reached the exit. "Keep walking. Through the door." he commanded, and I did, glancing back nervously.

_Where was Klaus? Or Damon for that matter!_

I stood in the hallway and hung up.

_How did he get Elena? She left! Was he stalking her too?_

My mind whirled as I turned and ran as fast as I could. I turned down the east corridor, and came across chained doors.

I wanted to scream in frustration. My heart was pounding, a sure beacon to his hearing.

I turned around and ran down the other side, flinging open the doors to the cafeteria. I tried to open the far doors.

But, of course...they were locked.

_Oh god no._ I fumbled for my phone, typing in a text to Damon, Stefan and Klaus' numbers.

_SOS Cafe-_

There was a loud thud as the doors on the opposite side of the room were thrown open. I flinched, and was ripped back by my hair. My curls fell out as he pulled me to him, then shoved me across the nearest table.

My body landed hard on the opposite side with a thud, my breath knocked out of me. As I struggled to my feet, I heard the screech of metal as he threw the table aside. I snatched a pencil up off the floor, and moments later he picked me off the floor. Pushing me up against the cold wall, he studied my face.

His fangs extended, and his eyes darkened.

I stabbed him with the pencil, feeling the satisfaction of it sinking into the flesh of his stomach.

I heard him wheeze in surprise, not expecting me to do this, obviously.

I pushed him to the floor and ran as fast and as far away as I could. He walked towards me, smirking.

"Feisty, eh?"

He was in front of me and I prepared to attack him again, but the element of surprise was gone.

He raised his hand, and the pencil went straight through. He glanced down at his hand, and I used my last pencil to stab him in the shoulder, pushing him to the floor again. I walked backwards, keeping a wary eye on him, while headed towards the mop in the bucket I noticed when I came in.

Pulling the mop out of the water, I tried snapping it over my knee to create a stake. I winced as the hard wood didn't budge. I saw him getting to his feet, and I brought it down again, this time being rewarded with a snap.

I heard the pencils clatter to the floor as he ripped them out of him. He advanced towards me, and I thrust the stake at him, only to have him grab my wrist and twist my arm. He pulled me to his chest again, and I screamed.

I heard the far doors slam open, and Damon and Klaus were ripping him away from me, pushing him to the floor.

Noah got up from the floor, eying the two vampires who were standing in front of me, their arms crossed.

"Hey, dickhead." Noah's eyes left my figure, and flicked to Damon, who had my stake in his hand. "Nobody want to kill you, we just wanna talk."

"Yeah, let's take this nice and easy, now." Klaus said warily.

The man smirked and rushed towards me, causing Klaus' hand to dart out and catch him around the throat, eliciting a breathy gasp to come out of his mouth.

Damon stabbed a stake into his stomach, and he fell to his knees.

I slowly sank to the floor during all this, my back against the wall.

"Now you feel like talkin', mate?" Klaus demanded, his voice sounding darker than I had ever heard it.

"Screw you." He said, spitting out blood towards Klaus.

Damon clicked his tongue and dug the stake in deeper.

"Wrong answer." he said in a sing-song voice. "Why are you doing this?"

Stefan jogged into the room, and was at my side a second later.

"You okay?" he asked.

I nodded weakly, feeling bruises form from being slammed around.

"Because it's fun!" Noah ground out after a moment.

"Yeah, "it's fun", but why are you doing it to Caroline?" Damon demanded again, twisting it.

"She looks like Chandra." He snapped, and Damon's eyes widened. Klaus and Damon met eyes before glancing back to Stefan and I.

"You knew Chandra?" Klaus asked, furrowing his brows.

"Oh." Noah laughed dryly. "You three thought you were the only ones." he laughed, only to gasp out in pain when Damon twisted the stake once more. "You don't even remember me."

Klaus chuckled. "No, it's you who doesn't remember me." he said quietly and I furrowed my brows, looking in confusion to Damon, who seemed to be equally befuddled.

"Where's Elena?" I asked, worried about my friend.

Stefan glanced at me. "She's at the dance. I found her in a classroom on the way here." he whispered, and I nodded.

"Tell me how to get in the tomb. Hmm?" Damon leaned over Noah, who shook his head.

"No."

Damon pulled out the stake, and stabbed it back in, creating a new wound.

"The grimoire." he cried out.

"And where is that?" Damon asked again.

"The journal, check the journal. We don't know whose, but Jonathan's or William's." he moaned.

"Who else is working with you?" Klaus asked, seeming to have questions of his own.

When he didn't answer, Damon repeated Klaus' question.

"No. You're going to have to kill me."

Damon and Klaus met gazes before looking back at us.

Stefan nodded, and Damon rolled his eyes, pulling out the stake. He weighted the stake in his hand for a moment, then viciously stabbed him in the heart. Noah's body fell to the floor with a clunk, and began to desiccate.

"How are you gonna find the others now?" I asked, looking to the others.

"He had to die, love." Klaus said, walking over to me. "He's been invited in." Klaus extended his hand to me.

I nodded slowly, taking his proffered hand and he pulled me to my feet.

I heard a door open, and we looked to see Alaric coming through one of the door's windows.

Stefan and Damon met eyes. "Go, I got this."

"C'mon love." Klaus said, leading me out the other door. "I don't think you want to see this."

**Third Person POV**

After Stefan cleaned up the mess, and Damon compelled Alaric – or so he thought – they talked about the night's events in the hall.

"There's no way that idiot was workin' alone." Damon said in disbelief.

"You are." Stefan said with a shrug. Damon grimaced at him. "So the grimoire... That was Emily's, right? That's what you need to reverse the spell. When the founding families burned her, they took her things, and you were hoping that dad's journal would tell you where it is." Stefan said, finally putting two and two together.

Damon smirked. "Look at you puttin' the pieces together. Good for you. I was half-right. Well, it's out there now. Let the games begin."

"My offer still stands." Stefan said, not wanting to have to work against his only brother.

"Yeah, with some hidden caveats, no doubt." Damon said, rolling his eyes.

"No. Nothing hidden about it. No lies. No deception. I'm there when you open up that tomb, you and Chandra go, and the other 20 something vampires die." Stefan said firmly, telling the truth.

"If I agree?"

"I'll help you." Stefan said, meeting his eyes.

The rest of the conversation went something like this.

"Why should I trust you?"

"Because I'm your brother."

"No, that's not gonna cut it."

"Because I want you gone."

The Salvatore brothers' conversations were often like this, full of unease and tense feelings.

Damon paused for a few moments, considering this deal. Perhaps his brother was actually considering the truth. "Okay." he said, nodding.

Stefan nodded as well, and that was that.

**Caroline's POV**

I sat on the couch at the Salvatore House, a cup of tea in my hand. Zach was seated across from me. I had just gotten done filling him in on what had happened since he left.

"So this guy, Noah, stalked you and then tried to kill you because you look like some girl?"

I nodded, taking a sip.

"And you're still sane after all of this?"

I smiled, running my hand through my hair. "Yeah." I laughed. "It's crazy talking about all of this like it's no big deal."

"Are you doing okay, though? I mean like really?" Zach asked, and I looked at him for a moment, contemplating my answer.

"Is it crazy weird if I say yes?"

"Is it true?" he retorted, and I gnawed on my lip.

"I know I should probably feel ridiculously upset or scared...or something, but I honestly feel really exhilarated. I mean, I stood up for myself, I put up a fight. It was nice, being in control like that, when normally I wouldn't." I said proudly, glad I was able to do such a thing.

Zach smiled and patted my knee. "I think we all wish we didn't have to fight back at all, but it's good you can. And you'll feel something eventually, it's just the adrenaline."

Stefan walked into the living room, and smiled at us.

"Hey guys." he sat across from me. "You alright?"

I nodded. "I fought back, I'm alive, my friends are alive, I'm alright."

His worried expression faded, and a nervous one replaced it. "I need to tell you something, but I don't know how you're going to feel about it."

I coughed, swallowing my sip of luke-warm tea. "What/"

Stefan took a deep breath. "I told Damon that I'd help him get into that tomb to get Chandra back. But..it was a lie. I let him believe that he could trust me."

"Well, why are you so worried about telling me then?" I furrowed my brows, waiting for an answer.

Stefan weighed his words carefully before saying, "He can be...very persuasive, and you two have bonded lately."

I scoffed, setting down my tea. "Just because he pretty much kidnapped me and we had a little road-trip, doesn't mean were best friends and bonded at the hip, Stef." I nudged him with my foot. "It'll take a lot more than a rescue for me to forget who Damon is, and all the crap he's done."

He nodded in understanding. "I really don't want to be his enemy, Care, but I can't let him do it."

I shrugged. "Then don't." I looked him dead in the eye. "I'll help you, whatever it takes, alright?"

I got up, and so did he. "Okay."

Stefan stepped forward, and embraced me. "I know you didn't ask for all this. Your mom dying, living here and dealing with us."

I smiled faintly into Stefan's shoulder. "I know you know, and thanks."

**Third Person POV**

_Meanwhile, Elena was at the Grill._

"Look Matt, I'm sorry. I said something really stupid, and it wasn't even about you but -"

"Yes, you were, 'Lena. Ben and I are just alike." Matt walked off from Elena, causing her to scoff and follow him.

"That's not true." he continued to wipe down the table.

"Are you seriously mad about this? Matt, you know me. I screw up all the time, say dumb things, and I always have to apologize and take it back. I'm a really shitty person, but I'm working on it." Elena said through clenched teeth, as it obviously pained her ego to admit this, especially to someone she was once so close to.

"Can we just not do this right now? I still need time." he said, not looking at her.

"Ok." she was silent for a moment, glancing at the clock on the wall. "When do you get off?"

He exhaled harshly, turning to look at her. "Look, this thing we got going on, just being friends, and hanging out like we used to – it's nice, and it feels really great, and I know you think I'm over you, but – but I'm not."

"How do you know that? Have you even bothered to ask me?" she demanded, crossing her arms.

"I'm not over you, and I don't want to mess things up again, we might lose this, and this job and you are the only good things I've had going for me in a long time, alright? So if our friendship isn't enough for either of us, we'll just disappoint and hurt people." He took a breath, and allowed that to sink in. "And I really don't want to do that."

Elena growled in annoyance. "Big problem, Matt, you took the next step all by yourself – played the whole damn thing out even, and decided to bail already! Don't even bother fretting about losing this, 'cause it's already gone!"

Elena stormed out of the Grill, slamming the door behind her.

~0~

A bit later, when Elena was walking down the street, as her car was lent to Jeremy for the night, Matt drove up I his truck.

"'Lena!" he called, and she scoffed. "'Lena, get in the truck."

She continued to walk, and Matt stopped his truck, put it in park, and jumped out. Elena tried to walk across the street in front of Matt's truck.

"What?" she unfolded her arms and glared at Matt, who had ran up to her.

Matt's blue eyes stared into her brown eyes for a moment, before he grabbed her face and kissed her.

"This'll never work." She mumbled between kisses, her mind flashing to Stefan. A tinge of guilt rose in her throat, but she pushed it away.

_Matt_. Her heart whispered.

_Stefan_. Her mind protested.

**~0~**

Outside of the Grill, in the back, Anna attacked Ben, her eyes red and her teeth elongated. Ben, flipped them over and attacked her, his own teeth and eyes showing in the dim light.

"Don't sneak up on me like that." he said, letting go the shorter girl.

"You love it." Anna smirked up at him. She playfully pushed him off.

"Where's Noah?" He asked, peering into the distance.

Anna sighed, her features creasing. "His blonde obsession got the best of him, and so did the Salvatore brothers."

"They killed him?" he asked, disbelievingly.

"Tortured and staked." she tersely replied, shrugging.

"You're not very upset." he raised an eyebrow.

"I warned you, Ben, and he was just gonna screw everything up anyway. Let's be honest, he wasn't exactly an asset. How'd you do?" she said, as if it was no big deal. And to her, it wasn't.

"Oh, the witch is totally crushing on me." he smirked. "Did you get the journal?"

Anna shook her head. "No, but I know where the Gilbert's is, and I'll get it."

They beamed at each other before Ben leaned down and kissed Anna before they walked off together.


	35. Children of the Damned : Part One

_Previously on Everything Changes..._

_"_ _Oh, the witch is totally crushing on me." he smirked. "Did you get the journal?"_

_Anna shook her head. "No, but I know where the Gilbert's is, and I'll get it."_

_They beamed at each other before Ben leaned down and kissed Anna before they walked off together._

* * *

**Third Person POV**

Caroline woke on her own, her eyes fluttering open to the dim light filtering in through the cracks in her blinds.

Groaning softly, she wiggled deeper under the covers, not really wanting to get up just yet.

"Rise and shine, Blondie," Damon said. He was sitting at her desk chair, and had been for the past ten minutes, waiting for Caroline to awaken.

Caroline, still half asleep, sat up, the covers falling around her waist, her her a mess.

"Oh my god, Damon!" she exclaimed, her eyes landing on his relaxed figure. She pulled the blanket back up over her shoulders, while simultaneously raking a hand through her messy locks.

"What are you doing?" she asked, narrowing her eyes.

He didn't respond, simply peered at the blonde with thinly veiled interest.

"If I see something I haven't seen before, I'll throw a dollar at it!" he smirked and said as she pulled the blanket up even further.

Caroline scoffed in annoyance and scooted back to lean against her headboard. "What do you want?"

"We have some very important business to discuss, Blondie."

Caroline resisted the urge to roll her eyes. How long had he been sitting there anyways?

"And it has to be right now, of all times?"

He shrugged. "We have lots to do, now that we're all  _friends_  and working toward a common goal."

Caroline flashed him a slightly confused look, and he continued.

"I know brother dear informed you about him helping me."

"And that means I'm helping too?" she retorted.

Stefan popped his head in, his eyes narrowing when he saw his older brother in Caroline's room.

"Damon, what are you doing?" he demanded, stepping inside.

"Ah, good, you're here, like I told Blondie, we all have important business to discuss." Damon said dismissively.

"So, in order to open the tomb, we need to find the journal, to get the Grimoire, to undo the spells. First things first, Stef – since you're Elena's boy toy, I need you to get her family's journals." Stefan raised an eyebrow at his brother's command, but didn't protest.

"You, Blondie, any idea where your family's journals are?"

Caroline felt Stefan's gaze on her, and she remembered where they were, feeling her heart increase in her unease, she shrugged. "I remember hearing about them when I was younger..."

His piercing blue eyes stared into her for a moment before shrugging. "Find them, the location could be in either journal."

"You don't have to do anything you don't want to do, Care." Stefan put in, shooting his brother an annoyed glance. He knew he would have pulled this, seeing as how Caroline was a Forbes.

"I'll check into it tonight." she said, sliding back under the covers. Caroline pulled them over her head, and sighed loudly.

"Good." was all Damon said.

"How do we even know that this journal will hold the location of the Grimoire? We're really gonna take the word of this vampire? He seemed like a bit of an obsessive dimwit to me."

A smirk drifted across Damon's face. "Klaus remembers him. So yes, in lieu of any other opinions, we are."

The blonde, who was previously hidden beneath her heavy duvet, sat up. "Okay, what is a Grimoire anyways?"

"A witch's cookbook." Damon shrugged, eying her pajamas for the second time.

She was wearing a silky tank top, and every time she moved it seemed to reflect the morning light, easily catching Damon's eye.

Caroline scoffed quietly before clearing her throat, and Damon glanced up, not even pretending to be embarrassed.

"Every spell that a witch casts is unique unto itself, so every witch documents their work." Stefan explained, and Caroline nodded slowly.

"Yeah, cookbook." Damon stated for a second time.

"What about our mystery vampire? He obviously wasn't working alone, so whoever's out there knows who we are." Stefan looked to the blonde. "And who Caroline and Elena are."

"And I don't like that advantage, so..." the raven haired man clapped his hands together. "Chop, chop." he got up and headed for her door, passing by Stefan.

Damon stopped and turned back around, walking backwards slowly. "You know, I really like this whole menage, threesome thing we got going on here." he smirked down at Caroline. "We're a good team – plus, it's got a bit of a kink to it." he laughed. "Don't screw it up." he added, more seriously and left the room.

Caroline rolled her eyes, and Stefan flashed a look that said.

_Brothers._

With a sympathetic smile, Caroline got up. She walked into her closet, and got some clothes for the day.

~0~

**Flashback to 1864**

_The sounds of a horse drawn carriage hit the young woman's ears. She smirked, two more heart beats coming into her supernaturally long ear-shot. Whenever they came into view, the horses slowed slightly, at the driver's instructions. The blonde got up, and ran towards the carriage, putting on a desperate facade._

" _Please! Please, help us!" Chandra ran toward the carriage as it comes to a halt._

" _Please, my husband, he's been hurt! Please help him!" she pleaded again, her blonde hair and wide eyes sticking out in the moonlit night._

_The driver leaped down from his seat and went to check on the 'husband' in the road._

" _What are you doing out here in the middle of the night? It's not safe." said the passenger, also exiting the carriage._

" _No. No, sir. It's not safe." Chandra said lowly, baring her fangs. She sunk her teeth into the man's neck. He screamed as she drained the life out of him._

_Meanwhile, the driver was still kneeling over the dark haired man's body, but turned around when he heard the screaming. He saw his passenger's dead body lying by the carriage, and his eyes widened. His heart leaped, and he scanned the scene for the girl, but couldn't find her. He looked back the other way and Chandra was right there, inches away from his face. Her eyes became red and she drained the life from the screaming man. Tossing him aside, she didn't bother to wipe the blood from her chin._

" _And that's how it's done." Chandra announced, wiping her pale bloodstained hands off onto her dress._

_The dead 'husband' – Damon Salvatore – sat up cautiously, looking around in a mix of awed terror._

" _What happens to the bodies?"_

" _Well, I'll take them into the woods and the other animals will finish them off." another voice said, walking into sight from the woods. Klaus stood there, staring down the frightened man. "Are you sure he's ready for this, love?" he asked Chandra, who pursed her lips._

_Damon ignored the man's question, nodding eagerly. "I'm ready. I want you to turn me."_

" _When it's time." she nodded slowly, and Klaus began to drag the bodies away. When he was out of sight, her eyes sparkled mischievously. "Kiss me."_

_Damon hesitated, seeing the blood on her face. He took a handkerchief from his coat pocket with a flourish. When he went to wipe the blood away from her pretty face, the blonde grabbed his hand, stopping him. She shifted closer to him, glancing down at his lips through her lashes._

" _You should get a taste." she whispered, moving into kiss him._

" _Sorry." Damon said in embarrassment as he moved away, still uneasy about the whole situation._

" _Don't be. Soon you won't be able to get enough." Chandra shrugged, and started to get up, before Damon pulled her close to him, kissing her with a fiery passion._

_Chandra smirked into the kiss, and Damon pulled away._

_The blood on her chin had left a smudge on his lips, which she wiped away with her finger._

" _You still haven't told me why Klaus is here." Damon said softly, breaking the silence. "Is there something going on between the two of you?" he continued shyly._

_Chandra leaned back, giving her lover a blank stare. "He's my mentor, is all." she murmured, and that was...partially true._

~0~

_Chandra walked down the stairs of the Boarding House, pouting. She had been with Damon, kissing- amongst other things- and Pearl and Katherine called her away. What a shame._

" _It's good to see you Pearl." Katherine said to Pearl, when her friend had finished her descent._

" _Perhaps we could talk outside." Pearl said lowly, and looked pointedly to the two friends._

" _Emily?" Chandra said, glancing over Pearl's shoulder._

_The maid looked up expectantly. "Would you please tell the Salvatores that we've stepped away for a bit?"_

" _Which one would you like me to tell first, Miss Chandra?" Emily asked, completely serious._

_Katherine narrowed her eyes._

" _It doesn't matter, as long as they get the message that we have stepped away." Chandra replied smoothly, but still noticing the suspicious stare she had received from her friend._

_The ladies exited the house and walked down the porch steps, heading across the yard._

" _So, ladies, how long do you plan on staying with the Salvatores?" Pearl asked. "People talk, you know. You two carrying on with the brothers, doesn't help either."_

_Katherine clenched her jaw, always one for silent anger._

_Chandra, on the other hand, had a fiery temper if pushed too hard. "Are you implying something, Miss Pearl?"_

" _The Salvatores have been very kind to take us in." Katherine said, trying to take the attention from Chandra. "As far as everyone here knows, we're poor orphan girls from Atlanta who lost our families in the fire, and met on the journey to here."_

" _A match you lit, no doubt." Pearl murmured, and Chandra giggled, forgetting about the accusation for the time being._

_The three stopped at the edge of the yard, and Pearl stared across to a young girl._

" _Honey! Please be careful!" she called, and the friends looked curiously over to the dark haired girl, who was going over to pet a horse._

_Turning back to Pearl, the mother continued. "Honoria Fell came by the apothecary yesterday with a case of this elixir. She asked that it be sold at a reduced rate." She handed the bottle to Katherine, who inspected it before handing it to Chandra._

" _I don't follow." Katherine murmured, and Pearl looked at her carefully. "Try it."_

_Chandra had the bottle uncorked before Katherine could get her hands on it. Sniffing it once warily before pouring a tiny bit into her palm. The blonde bit back a yelp as it burned her._

" _What in the hell?" Katherine murmured. "Why is there ver-"_

" _They know!" Chandra bit out, and Pearl nodded._

" _They're trying to find us, and they're getting crafty about it." Pearl sneered, taking the bottle back._

_Chandra furrowed her brows. "The townspeople ingesting vervain? Well that's inconvenient."_

" _It might be time for us to move on again." Pearl said lowly, and Katherine shook her head._

" _No. I like it here, I'm not interested in leaving just yet."_

_Chandra nodded in agreement._

_The soft footsteps of Pearl's daughter, Anna, caused the conversation to come to an end. "Is something wrong?"_

_No one offered a reply to Anna's question._

~0~

**Present Time:**

"Hey it's me again, Anna." She said to Jeremy's voice mail. "Stalker chick and Foosball champion. I'll be at the Grill later, if you want, y'know, a rematch or whatever." she chuckled awkwardly and shifted positions on the hotel bed.

Glancing up as Ben excited the bathroom with a towel around his waist, she hung up.

"Who are you calling?" he asked, cocking his head to the side.

"Jeremy Gilbert." she replied nonchalantly, the name making her stomach flip, despite her better judgment.

"You're not, like, into him, are you?"

Anna forced a scoff. "I need him for something, get over it."

Ben walked over to the window and pulled back the curtain, letting in sunlight. The light scalded his skin, causing him to smoke.

"Oh!" he said through gritted teeth, reacting quickly. "Dammit!" he shoved the curtain shut and danced away from the light.

"Dude, you gotta stop doing that." Anna said, shaking her head in disbelief.

 _You'd think that getting burnt alive would be a reminder to him_.

"I know. I just- I keep forgetting." he admitted.

"You're new." she encouraged. "You'll get it."

"You found the Gilbert journal?" he picked up an old journal laying on the bed, and Anna raised an eyebrow.

"Does that look like the Gilbert journal?" she said, her voice dripping with sarcasm.

"Well, it's old and musty, and how am I supposed to know the difference?" Ben shrugged, tossing the book back down onto the bed.

"I don't know, I figured maybe, just maybe, you've been paying a little bit of attention since we met." she snapped, getting up off the bed.

**Caroline's POV**

Stefan and I sat at the breakfast bar of Elena's house, watching her comb through boxes.

Stefan hadn't told Elena that he actually wasn't going to help Damon, that he had lied to him. I guess it was to keep her safe, but still, I thought she should at least know. Stefan, on the other hand knew his brother 'better than I did' which was true, and thought it would be best to keep her in the dark.

"I really think Damon believes everything he's done, every move, he's done for Chandra. For love." I said suddenly, the thought leaping to my lips.

Elena made a face. "It's twisted."

"Kind of sad to me." I murmured, and Stefan looked at the two of us.

"There are other ways to get what you want. You don't have to kill people. Damon has absolutely no regard for human life, and he enjoys inflicting pain on others." Stefan sighed his green eyes got a faraway look to them. "For 145 years, every single time that I have let my guard down and let Damon back into my life, he's done something to make me regret that. I'm not going to make that mistake again."

"So, what do you think is going to happen if the tomb gets opened and Damon gets...Chandra?...back?" Elena asked, studying Stefan curiously.

Stefan shrugged, and I could tell that his back was slightly tense. He didn't want to lie to her, but he had to if he wanted to keep her in the dark. I realized.

"I think that no matter what he promises, he'll get what he wants in the end. Chandra back." Stefan said normally, and Elena exhaled loudly, picking up a photo.

"That's Jonathan Gilbert." Stefan pointed out, and he got up to stand behind Elena.

Elena dug further into the box, and murmured. "What's this?"

A faint recognition passed over Stefan's face, but it left when Jeremy walked into the room.

"Hey." he greeted, then looked towards the boxes. "What're you guys doing?"

Elena smiled, and I noticed it seemed forced.

_That's strange, I wonder why?_

"Hey. Just going through some stuff, feeling sentimental." she shrugged. "Dad had this old family journal from years ago, and I thought I'd dig it up."

"Jonathan Gilbert's journal?"

"Yeah, what do you know about it?" Elena asked, and then I realized that Jeremy had done a report on it recently, and lent it to Alaric!

_How could I have been so stupid! I'd known where it was all along, and totally forgot!_

I groaned in annoyance with myself and Stefan shot me a confused look. I smiled weakly, knowing he would probably ask me about it later.

"I just did a history report on it." Jeremy replied, voicing my realization.

"Oh." Elena said, looking at all the boxes. "So where is it now?"

Jeremy shrugged. "I gave it to Mr. Saltzman. He wanted to see it."

The three of us exchanged wary looks before Jeremy left.

**Third Person's POV**

Mystic Falls High was dark, and the only lights in the empty halls were the occasional exit signs, glowing a dim red.

One classroom, adjacent from the rest, had a bit of light peeking out through the cracks. Now, most teachers wouldn't and couldn't be found in their classrooms on a Sunday, at 6 o'clock at night. And most teachers wouldn't be intently reading an ancient journal about vampires, either.

But then again, Alaric Saltzman, wasn't your average history teacher.

 _I met Barnett and Giuseppe this evening_. The journal read.  _I saw the skepticism in their eyes when I showed them William's compass._

~0~

_**Flashback, 1864, Giuseppe Salvatore's Study:** _

" _We're supposed to believe that can track one of them?" Giuseppe asked in disbelief, looking from William to Jonathan._

" _What it is?" Barnett Lockwood questioned next. "Magic?"_

_Jonathan shook his head, and William explained for his friend. "It's science."_

_Barnett shook his head. "I'll believe it when I see it."_

_A creak at the study door caused the men to glance up, their conversation ceasing._

_It was Stefan – Giuseppe's youngest son._

" _Excuse me, father." he said, dipping his head. "I didn't know you had guests."_

_Giuseppe didn't say anything more than, "We'll be done in a few minutes, son."_

" _I'll come back." Stefan murmured, and nodded at the others. "Forgive me, Mr. Gilbert, Mr. Lockwood, Mr. Forbes."_

_The younger son left, closing the door quietly behind him._

" _Have you told them?" Jonathan asked, and the father shook his head._

" _Not yet."_

" _Giuseppe, we need all the men we can get." William said gently, nodding at the compass._

" _I'll tell them." he looked at a small picture of them on the wall for a brief moment before continuing. "You can count on my boys."_

_William and Jonathan met eyes, exchanging an uneasy gaze. "Good. This works – will work – and we'll need everyone's help." William murmured before getting up and exiting the room._

**Present Time**

Alaric stood in the teacher's lounge, the copier machine humming softly as it scanned the pages down. He took the last few pages off the tray, and put them in a locker.

Meanwhile, Anna roamed the halls, waiting for Alaric to exit.

With a soft click as the locker shut, he left the lounge and walked back to his classroom, tossing the journal onto the desk. He took his place back at his desk, and began to grade papers.

Anna, still in the hall, decided to mess around with him for a moment, get him distracted. It would make him much easier to take care of later.

She sprinted by his door, and just like she expected, he came out into the hallway.

"Hello?" he couldn't see Anna's dark figure, as she was hiding behind the wall, just around the corner. "Someone there?" he called again, and he turned the opposite way.

At this instance, Anna sprinted into his classroom with her supernatural speed.

Alaric paused at the other end of the corridor, and suddenly took off in a fast walk to the teachers lounge. He opened his locker and took out a black duffel bag. Unzipping a hidden pocket in the lining, he reached down and pulled out a blow dart gun – but this one was modified – it used wooden stakes. Cocking his gun, he walked back to his classroom, pausing outside the door.

Little did he know, Anna was already long gone, and someone else was standing there, waiting.

In one swift movement, Alaric rounded the corner into his classroom, and shot a stake.

Stefan grabbed the stake without effort and stared at Alaric, an eyebrow raised. Alaric began to reload another stake, simultaneously walking back towards the door. Stefan easily blocked his way though, suddenly standing behind him, and the next thing Alaric knew, Stefan had a hold of his shirt.

Alaric swallowed nervously.

"You shouldn't have done that." Stefan said, and it was then he saw his student in a new light.

With a shove towards the desk, Alaric stumbled, and Stefan used this moment to take the gun from him.

"Have a seat." He said, ignoring Alaric's obvious hostility.

Stefan pointed at the chair, insisting that Alaric did what he was told.

Once he was seated, Stefan examined the gun. "What is this, compressed air?" silence. "Did you make it yourself? Who are you?"

Stefan stepped forward, and Alaric flinched, if on instinct. "I'm not going to hurt you...unless you try that again." Stefan informed him, completely honest.

He gave Alaric his weapon back, and took a seat on one of the student desks.

"Now, who are you?"

"I'm a teacher." Alaric replied, still slightly hostile.

"Are we gonna have to do this the hard way?" Stefan returned, and Alaric continued.

"I'm also a historian. And while researching Virginia, I – made a few discoveries about your town."

"So you show up like Van Helsing. Come on. Tell me the truth." Stefan pressed again, and Alaric let out a heavy sigh.

"My wife was a parapsychologist. She spent her life researching paranormal activity in this area. It was her work that led me here."

"Where's your wife?" Stefan asked, glancing down to Alaric's left ring finger. There was a ring on his hand, but it wasn't a wedding ring.

"Dead. A vampire killed her."

"Where's the Gilbert journal?" Stefan asked, not commenting on the whole death-by-vampire subject.

"What do you want with it?" Alaric retorted, as if he forget who was technically asking the questions here.

"Where is it?" Stefan asked a second time, his tone more demanding this time.

"Its on my desk." He said with a jerk of his head.

"No, its' not."

Alaric furrowed his brows and glanced over at his desk, which was void of any journal.

He looked back at Stefan. "It _was_  on my desk."

~0~

**Flashback to 1864**

_Chandra and Katherine were at the apothecary, smelling different perfumes and chatting away._

_"_ _Have you thought any more of what I've said?" Pearl asked, coming over to Chandra._

_She was usually more level-headed then Katherine, who had a tendency to be self-centered and a runner._

_"_ _We'll leave soon, Pearl, I promise. Katherine and I need to take care of a few things first." she replied evenly, looking pleased at the current bottle of perfume she had._

_"_ _You both plan on turning them, don't you?"_

_Katherine walked over, hearing the conversation, and smirked devilishly._

_"_ _Please, be careful. That's all I ask." Pearl said lowly, and Katherine shrugged._

_"_ _We'll all be safe, I promise." Chandra murmured, and Pearl nodded in defeat._

_"_ _Mr. Gilbert's coming." Katherine squealed, looking at Pearl. "Quick, your cheeks."_

_Chandra's long pale fingers darted to Pearl's face, pinching her cheeks._

_"_ _Perfectly rosy." the blonde grinned at her work and Pearl turned to look at Jonathan, who was now standing in the doorway to the store._

_"_ _Miss Pearl? May I have a moment?" he questioned._

_"_ _Yes, Mr. Gilbert. I'm still waiting for you to explain that comet in the sky." Pearl replied coolly with a smile._

_The two left, and Chandra looked over at Anna. "Your mother has an admirer."_

_Emily, who was in charge of watching Anna while the ladies were busy, smiled down at Anna, who couldn't help but to beam back._

_~0~_

_"_ _As descendants of the Founding Families, they'll want to know that they can count on you." Giuseppe said to his sons as they walked together across their property._

_"_ _Of course they can. Is there any doubt?" Stefan asked, looking to his father._

_"_ _I'm not sure your brother Damon understands the importance of duty." he replied, studying the younger sibling's reaction._

_"_ _Damon left the Confederacy on principle. It was his choice and should be respected." Stefan defended. His brother's time in the army was always a sensitive subject with Giuseppe._

_"_ _You'll forgive me if I have trouble respecting a deserter."_

_"_ _Well, I never asked for your respect." Damon said, stepping out from behind a shrub._

_Their father stopped, and looked at Damon blankly. "Good for you, Damon. Because all I have is disappointment."_

_The tension in the group was so thick you could practically see it. Stefan, always a peace-maker, changed the subject._

_"_ _You said the town is in trouble?"_

_"_ _There's been too many deaths. It is time for us to fight back and stop these killers." His father said firmly, clenching his fist._

_"_ _Killers? What are you talking about?" Stefan asked, his mind not jumping to Katherine or Chandra as a killer._

_"_ _We live amongst demons." he said mysteriously._

_"_ _You're being cryptic now, father. Why don't you just say the word?"_

_"_ _Vampires. They exist. And they live amongst us. But we have a plan to kill them. And you're going to help us." Giuseppe looked at Stefan expectantly, and he nodded, understanding the situation. He then looked to his eldest son, who made no mood to indicate his thought or opinion on the matter._

~0~

**Present Day**

Damon was in the gently-used kitchen of the Boarding House, slicing a tomato. Much to any onlooker's surprise, Jenna was there too, drinking a glass of wine, chatting with Damon.

"My father never approved of anyone I dated, which only made me want them more, of course. What about you?" he asked, moving the tomato aside with the knife.

"There were a few guys. Logan isn't the only loser I've dated." Jenna said with a shrug, drinking a big gulp of her wine. She pulled herself onto the counter and leaned against the cupboard.

"They ever find him? Or is he still missing?" Damon wondered aloud, looking curiously to the missing man's ex.

"He's not missing. He's in the Bahamas working on his tan. Very entitled, that one. Marches to his own drum." she threw her head back, draining the last bit of wine. "He's a Fell. They're all snooty."

Damon laughed, and turned around, grabbing the bottle for Jenna and refilling her glass.

"Hello, Blondie." Damon said to no one in particular, and Jenna furrowed her brows, turning around.

Caroline walked in not even a second later. Her eyes widened when she saw Damon cooking, but they got even wider when she saw Jenna there.

"Hey?" Care greeted, clearly confused.

"Hey!" Jenna smiled wide, jumping down off from her seat on the counter. "We're cooking dinner."

"I can see that." Caroline murmured, gazing at Damon with suspicion.

_What kind of game was he playing?_

"Is Elena or Stefan with you?" Jenna asked.

Caroline glanced over her shoulder, and Elena came into view. She expressed the same shock and confusion as her blonde friend did.

"Where's Stefan?" Damon asked innocently, and Elena blinked.

"Uh – he'll – uh – be here soon."

Caroline leaned against the counter and watched Damon with a curious sort of distaste.


	36. Children of the Damned : Part Two

_Previously on Everything Changes..._

_Caroline glanced over her shoulder, and Elena came into view. She expressed the same shock and confusion as her blonde friend did._

_"Where's Stefan?" Damon asked innocently, and Elena blinked._

_"Uh – he'll – uh – be here soon."_

_Caroline leaned against the counter and watched Damon with a curious sort of distaste._

* * *

_At Mystic Falls High, in Alaric's classroom..._

"How long have you been aware of me?" Stefan asked, less serious now.

Stefan's guard was still up, but he felt that Alaric was less likely to attempt to kill him now.

Alaric shrugged. "I just learned recently. What about your brother?"

"You met Damon." Stefan said flatly, putting the pieces together.

"Who do you think killed my wife?" the human replied, and Stefan grew somber.

"Are you certain it was Damon?"

Nodding, he said. "I witnessed it." his eyes were hard.

"If you're here for revenge, this is going to end very badly for you." the brother replied, noticing Alaric's expression.

"I just want to find out what happened to my wife."

Stefan cocked his head to the side and glanced down at his pocket where his phone was vibrating before replying. "I thought you just said that Damon..."

Alaric cut him off. "Yeah. I saw him draining the life out of her. He must have heard me coming. He just...disappeared. So did her body. They never found her."

"Damon can never know why you're here. He'll kill you without blinking." Stefan warned, staring intently at the teacher, who raised his eyebrows.

"I can take care of myself."

Stefan scoffed. "No, you can't. I can help you – if you let me."

~0~

**Caroline's POV**

I carried a stack of plates into the remarkably clean dining room, running into Zach, who had just gotten home from work.

"Zach!" I exclaimed with a smile. "You're home."

He nodded, "Yeah. What's-" he yawned wide. "Going on?"

"Damon had the  _lovely_ idea to invite over Jenna and Elena for dinner." I said sarcastically.

Damon walked into the hallway connecting the dining room and kitchen. "Oh,  _goodie_. Zach's home." he brushed by Zach and I, going into the kitchen.

Zach eyed the vampire warily. "I've already eaten, so I'll just stay out of you all's hair." he nodded at me before leaving.

Suddenly, someone bumping me with their hips. "Whoa." it was Damon, smirking.

 _Why aren't I surprised?_  I thought with a roll of my eyes, scoffing.

I smiled in annoyance, knowing my smile was probably more of a grimace than anything. I continued towards the dining room and set out six plates – one for Jenna, Elena, Jeremy, Damon, Stefan and myself. I wasn't entirely sure who all was going to be here.

"Don't do that." I said to him as I set out the plates.

"Do what?" he asked innocently, and I glared at him.

"You know what. That move was deliberate."

"Well, yeah, I was deliberately trying to get you out of the way." Damon laid down a spoon, butter knife and fork next to the plate I had just sat down.

I watched him for a moment, silently seething. He glanced up at me from under his lashes, and smirked.

I chuckled quietly and averted my gaze.

I headed back into the kitchen, to help with whatever needed help with.

I could hear Elena and Jenna in the parlor, chatting about something that was on display.

"Speaking of Stefan," Damon suddenly said, even though neither of us had brought up his absence in at least ten minutes."Where is he? He's missing family night, which I am enjoying immensely."

I looked at Damon again, and he smiled at me – actually smiled – not that little cocky smirk that was always plastered on his face.

Averting my gaze for the second time, I went over to the stove and peered into the pot. The water was just beginning to boil, and I stirred it slowly, not wanting the cooking pasta to stick.

"Is it real?" Damon asked, and I glanced over my shoulder at him.

"Is what real?" I furrowed my brows. I was just about to ask him the same thing. He had this whole nice-guy act going on, and it was really hard to tell what game he was playing.

Damon was silent for a few moments before responding. "This renewed sense of brotherhood." he came up beside me and checked the pot of sauce, bringing the spoon up to his lips.

"Damon!" I exclaimed, slapping his arm with the back of my hand. "Don't put that spoon back into the pot!"

"What? I don't have  _cooties_." he smirked at me again, but did what I asked, setting the spoon in the sink. "Can I trust him?"

I took a deep breath, and looked at Damon boldly. "Yes, you can trust him."

I grabbed a handful of napkins and headed into the hallway.

I heard a soft whoosh and suddenly Damon was in front of me. I took a startled step back, and looked up at him.

"Can I trust him?" he repeated, staring intently into my eyes.

_Didn't I just answer that question?_

"I'm wearing vervain, Damon. It's not going to work."

 _I should be eating it too..._  I thought, just now realizing I hadn't been doing so.

"I'm not compelling you. I just want you to answer me. Honestly." I tried to walk around him, but he sidestepped, not letting me pass.

"I told you already, and I'll tell you again." I held his gaze. "Of course you can."

 _Just not with this._  A little voice whispered, and I hoped my little white lie didn't mess with my heartbeat.

Damon was silent for a moment, considering my answer. After a few seconds, he stepped aside and let me pass.

~0~

**Third Person POV**

_Flashback to 1864:_

" _You can trust me, Mr. Salvatore. I would never cheat." Katherine said to Giuseppe. "My friend, on the other hand..." she laughed as Chandra exclaimed in protest._

_The two ladies and Mr. Salvatore were playing croquet in the garden._

_Katherine hit the ball with her mallet, and it sailed under the bridge. Giuseppe sighed and Katherine giggled mischievously._

_The two brothers approached the three, and their father called to them. "I'm loosing over here...again!" he took his turn, and the pair stopped walking to watch them play. Chandra and Katherine curtsied at the brothers, smirking slightly._

_Klaus Mikaelson wandered in from the front of the house, and Giuseppe called out in greeting. "Mr. Niklaus Mikaelson! What a pleasant surprise!"_

_As far as he knew, Klaus was just a young man from New Orleans, who had just gotten back from studying abroad, hence the accent._

" _Hello, Mr. Salvatore." Klaus nodded politely and glanced at Chandra who curtsied at Klaus' arrival._

" _She's good," Damon said to his brother, while Klaus and Giuseppe were talking. "I almost believe she genuinely likes him."_

" _Perhaps she does." his brother replied, watching the pair._

_Damon scoffed, shaking his head. "She knows father would have her killed if he knew the truth. Same goes with Klaus."_

" _Maybe if we talked to him, explain how we feel. He could help us keep her safe." Stefan suggested._

_Klaus walked over to the young men, and shook his head in response, pretending to greet them kindly. "Your father would stake them himself, if he found out."_

_He shook both brothers hands and stood next to them._

" _We can trust him..." Stefan murmured hopefully._

" _Not with this. Please, promise me you won't tell him, Stefan." Damon said, looking worriedly at Chandra, who had just taken her turn._

_His brother was silent for a brief moment. "I promise."_

" _Do you mind if I steal away the ladies for a moment?" Klaus asked, surprising everyone._

_He only wished to speak with Chandra, but it would have been considered unladylike for a woman to go alone with a man, so he requested them both._

_Chandra and Katherine met eyes, before nodding.  
_

" _Go right ahead!" Giuseppe smiled, waving his hand._

_The girls went over to him, and Chandra met his eyes. "What is it?"_

" _Pearl's having a fit." He hissed._

~0~

**Caroline's POV**

_Present time:_

"There was a time when I trusted him more than anyone." Damon said, getting a serving spoon out from a drawer.

"You gotta give trust to get it." I said with a shrug, reaching in front of him to get a spoon for the angel hair pasta.

"Blondie, are you  _lecturing_  me?" he asked, feigning shock.

"Do you  _need_ to be lectured, Damon?" I retorted, putting a hand on my hip.

He smirked for a moment, before getting serious. "I just want her back...I'm sure you can understand that."

I nodded I would do anything to have my mom back, so I could indeed understand his situation.

"I can understand that you'd do anything for her, yes." I looked through the near by cupboards, finally finding what I was looking for. A colander to get the water out of the pasta.

Putting it in the sink, I carefully carried to pot over to the sink and poured the hot pasta-water into the strainer.

"Then you understand what I will do if  _anyone_  gets in my way." he said dangerously, and I glanced over my shoulder at him.

Suddenly, I felt a searing pain on my arm, as the bottom of the pot touched it.

I yelped in pain, squeezing my eyes partially shut. I shook out the last little bit of pasta, fanning the steam out of my face. I set the pot down on the middle divider of the two sinks, wincing. Leaning against the edge of the sink, I looked down, my hair creating a curtain on each side of my face. Tears pricked at my eyes, and I took a shaky breath.

Damon was at my side. "Caroline?"

I didn't respond, still trying to gain my composure.

"Caroline." he said again, more persistent now. "You really need to get some water on that."

I blinked hard, and stood up straight, looking at my arm. There was an angry red crescent on it, and I turned on the cold water. Damon moved the pasta and pan out of my way, setting it back on the stove.

I hissed as the cold water ran over the dark red burn.

"Care?" I glanced over my shoulder to see Jenna with her head popped in. "You okay? I heard you holler."

I nodded. "Yeah, I wasn't paying attention and the bottom of the pan burnt me." I gestured to my burn and she winced. "Owwww. Why don't you let Damon and Elena finish up all this, and you can keep some ice on it in here?"

I shrugged, and turned to get some ice, but Damon already had some in a Ziploc bag. I looked up at him, startled.

"Thanks."

He grinned lopsidedly. "No problem."

"Elena?" Jenna called. "Why don't you go help Damon?"

A loud protesting groan was heard, and she walked into the kitchen.

Jenna and I sat in the parlor, on the longest couch. We could see into the kitchen just barely. Damon was putting pots into the sink

"He is ridiculously hot!" Jenna whispered, and I could tell that the wine had loosened her up a tad bit.

"Shh!" I said with a chuckle, bumping her shoulder with mine. He turned slightly, and I could see a smirk on his face.

I stared at Damon's back. "He's a total ass."

We chatted for a few minutes longer, and I kept ice on my arm.

Once it was comfortably numb, I set the ice on the table. After talking about Elena and Jeremy and school in general, the door opened.

"That must be Stefan."

I got up, and looked through the archway. Stefan and Jeremy walked in. Stefan looked utterly confused, and the look got even worse when he saw his older brother in the kitchen.

~0~

Damon came out of the kitchen a while later, and Jeremy and him headed upstairs. I heard Call of Duty noises a while later, and figured they were up in the little entertainment room/den playing video games.

~0~

**Third Person POV**

"You said you never played this thing before!" Jeremy protested as he died for the fifth time.

"I'm a fast learned." Damon grinned at the younger Gilbert. "Quick reflexes."

Jeremy's phone went off, and he paused the game, fishing it out of his pocket. He glanced at the screen before tossing his phone onto the couch, and unpasuing the game.

"Who are you dodging?" Damon asked, his fingers moving deftly over the controls.

"This girl, Anna." Jeremy admitted. "She can be, uh, persistent."

"Is she hot?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

Little Gilbert laughed in slight embarrassment. "Yeah, yeah...but she can be weird."

Damon shrugged, smirking. "Hot trumps weird, trust me."

Jeremy killed Damon's character and he smiled, chuckling to himself.

Meanwhile, downstairs, Elena got a call from Bonnie, and she and Caroline went up to Caroline's room to talk.

"I don't know what to wear to this date!" Bonnie exclaimed, clearly very nervous. "What if he asks me about something I know nothing about?!"

"Bon." Elena said, glancing at Caroline and rolling her eyes. "Calm down. You're hot, he's hot, you'll get along great!"

Caroline furrowed her brows at her friend. "Yeah, Bon. Just be yourself. You'll do fine, I promise."

Elena hung up and she went downstairs, but Caroline lingered in her room. Pulling the box out from under her bed, she took out the top journal. Care had been reading a little bit of the journals, each night. But she hadn't told either brother of these journals, and she didn't plan on it. Originally, she was going to have Stefan had them for her, but decided against it.

She pulled out the Forbes journal, the one from 1864 – the same date that was one Stefan's pictures of Chandra and Katherine- and placed them under her pillow. She'd talk to Stefan about what the plan was later.

Heading downstairs, for dinner, the group ate without any strange happenings, just normal dinner table conversation.

Afterwords, Stefan, Damon, and Elena were waiting for me in the foyer. Stefan jerked his head towards the front door and I followed them outside.

Stefan told us about his encounter with Alaric and about the missing book.

"Well then who took it?" Damon demanded. I could tell that the complication in his plan definitely didn't help his mood.

"I don't know." Stefan said honestly, shrugging.

"You know what?" Damon said, narrowing his eyes. "It's that teacher. There's something really off about him."

"Mr. Alaric?" Elena asked, raising an eyebrow. "Yeah right."

"No, he doesn't know anything. Somebody got to it right before me." Stefan said, shrugging.

I could tell from the look on his face, Stefan didn't want Alaric getting hurt – or Damon hurting someone who was innocent.

"Who else knew it was there?"

Stefan glanced through the small window at Jeremy, but didn't say anything. His older brother followed his gaze. Without even hesitating, Damon headed for the door.

"No. Damon, leave him out of it!" I exclaimed, grabbing for his arm. I knew Elena wouldn't really care. She expected everyone – vampire or not – to have a consciousness and be nice to her because she was  _Elena._

"Why, what's the big deal?" Damon feigned innocence as he walked inside

"Dammit Damon!" I huffed, and went after him, Stefan and Elena on my heels.

In the living room, Damon sat on the arm of the sofa.

"So...I heard you found a really cool journal from back in the day. Who else did you show it to?"

"Huh?" he turned to look at him, confused.

"Don't ask questions, just spill." Damon's gaze was intense.

Jeremy laughed nervously. "You're kidding me, right?"

I butted into the conversation before it got anymore...weird. "Jer, did you tell anyone other than Mr. Saltzman about Jonathan Gilbert's journal?"

"Why is everybody so obsessed with that thing?" he grumbled, not answering my question.

"Who else did you tell?" Elena asked, speaking up for the first time.

"Just that girl Anna." he shrugged, glancing down at his phone.

"The hot, weird one?" Damon's gaze was on little Gilbert's phone as well.

"Yeah." Jeremy said.

"Wait, who is Anna?" Elena asked, looking from Jeremy to Damon.

"That's what I want to find out." Damon got up, and my phone rang.

I excused myself to go answer it.

"Hey Bonnie." I answered with a grin.

"Are you alone?" she asked, and I left the foyer, heading up to my room.

"Alright, now I am." I smiled, plopping down onto my bed. "Give me the 411 Bon! I'm dying!"

I heard Bonnie giggle. "It's going great. He's a perfect gentleman."

"Gentleman, huh?" I asked, not pegging Ben to be the gentlemanly type.

"I know! Boring, huh? I just want to grab him and lay one on him." Bonnie gushed

"So, why don't you?" I asked, smiling wide, already knowing the answer.

"'Cause I'm a chicken." she grumbled, and I heard someone singing off key in the background, but I didn't comment on it.

I laughed. "You're a powerful witch goddess. Come on, seize the day, Broomhilda."

"Okay. I'm going to text you later with more details." she said nervously, and I heard her fiddle with something.

"You better! Good luck!" I replied, and then hung up.

Stefan entered my room with a hesitant knock.

"Hey, did you find the Forbes journal?" he asked, sitting on my desk chair.

I glanced warily over his shoulder, but no one was in the hall. "Where's Damon?" I definitely didn't want to spill the beans about the journals with Damon near by.

"He left to track down Jeremy's friend Anna, see if there was anything there." he explained, and at my worried expression, he said. "Elena said she'd go with him, don't worry"

"Aren't you going to go too? If he gets to the journal before we do, then our plan is..."

Stefan pulled out a stack of papers, smiling slightly. "Doesn't matter."

"Is that what I think it is?" I asked, looking curiously at the papers in his hand

Stefan nodded, still smiling. "Mr. Saltzman made a copy and was kind enough to loan it to me."

I raised an eyebrow. "He loaned it?"

Stefan shrugged mysteriously and I chuckled, knowing he probably took it without asking.

"So, did you get the journal? I don't think it's in the Gilbert journal." he explained. "I looked over it on the way home, and it's mostly just his ramblings."

I smiled, and pulled the journal out from under my pillow. "Ta-da!"

~0~

**Third Person POV**

Anna entered the bar, looking around for Jeremy. When she found him, she grinned widely, walking over to him.

"You just couldn't live without me, huh?"

"Well, I kinda miss my daily dose of cute stalker chick." Jeremy said, laying on the charm.

"Oh, funny." she retorted, leaning against the pool table.

"Let's play." Jeremy set up the pool table, smiling contently.

Damon, meanwhile, was at the bar, watching the pair with interest. After staring at Anna for a moment, recognition spread over his face.

~0~

_Flashback to 1864_

_Katherine, Pearl, Damon and Chandra stood inside the apothecary, chatting. They would have already left, but it was pouring rain outside, and decided to stay for a bit._

" _The sheriff was here earlier. He bought large volumes of the vervain elixir." Pearl said._

_The vampires and Damon met Pearl here right after Klaus had informed them on her every increasing worry._

" _Did he try to put his hands on you again?" Chandra asked, a smirk tugging at the corner of her lips._

" _Doesn't he always?" she nodded, smirking as well._

_Chandra looped her arm through Damon's sending butterflies straight to his stomach. "She's saving herself for Jonathan Gilbert."_

" _I'm beyond saving. We know that." chuckled Pearl._

_The girls chuckled as well, and Chandra felt Damon tense._

" _How can you be so calm? They're getting closer to you every day." wide-eyed Damon looked from one girl, to the other, waiting for an explanation._

" _We are the respectable ladies of Mystic Falls. Thanks to Emily, we walk the streets in daylight. No one will ever suspect us." Katherine said, a confident smile still on her lips._

_Peal eyed Damon warily."Not unless a human tells them."_

" _I'd sooner die!" he exclaimed._

_Chandra squeezed his arm, smiling possessively at him. "And soon enough, you will."_

_Chandra and Damon kissed, but the jingling of the storefront bell made them look up. It was Anna._

" _Mrs. Fell is approaching." she informed, her hair damp from the drizzling rain._

" _Thank you, Annabelle." her mother cooed, and gave her daughter a hug._

~0~

**Present Time:**

Damon shook his head, getting out of his memory. He glanced back at Jeremy and Anna, finally fully realizing who she was.

~0~

**Caroline's POV**

Stefan and I sat on my bed, pouring over the journal. I had found something on Emily before, but never got around to bookmarking it.

"Aha!" I exclaimed. "Here it is. This is the reference I found about Emily before: " _The Fell family believed it should be I, not Jonathan, who protected the witch's spell book. But I feared she would haunt me from the hereafter. They mocked my fear, but it was Giuseppe Salvatore who-_ " I paused, looking at Stefan. "That's your father, right?"

He nodded. "Yeah." Stefan hesitantly took the book from my lap, and I nodded at him. "No, please, go right ahead."

He took it from me, and read aloud. "It was Giuseppe Salvatore who removed my fear. He told me he would protect the secret of the spell book. He said he would carry it to his grave."

Stefan read the last sentence in confusion, turning his head to look at me.

~0~

**Stefan's POV**

I thought back to 1864, glancing at the journal entry's date, I decided I would tell Caroline my memories. This particular memory was probably right before Katherine and Chandra were found out.

~0~

**Third Person POV**

_Flashback to 1864_

_Stefan knocked quietly on his father's door before entering. Sticking his head inside, he saw him close a book at his desk, before turning to him._

_"Stefan. To what do I owe this pleasure?" he smiled at his son, but obviously still had stuff on his mind._

_"Did I interrupt your writing?" he asked, entering the room. Stefan didn't go any farther then past the doorway, however._

_He shook his head. "These are the dull musings of my troubled mind."_

_"A great mind." Stefan murmured respectfully, and his father smiled._

_"Still. I will carry the real secrets with me-"_

_"To your grave." Stefan responded, having heard this sentence countless times before._

_"And a full grave it will be." he replied, nodding to himself._

_His father gestured towards the chair next to him, and Stefan came over and took a seat, fidgeting._

_"Now, speaking of troubled minds, what's on yours?" asked Giuseppe._

_Stefan looked down, picking his words carefully. "I have concerns about your plan for the vampires."_

_"And why is that?"_

_"We are making the assumption that all vampires are as evil as they've been characterized, but what if that's not true?" Stefan said, still choosing his words carefully. He didn't want his father to be suspicious about Katherine or Chandra._

_Despite his careful choosing, his father still asked, "Do you have any evidence to the contrary? Do you know of any vampires?"_

_"No. No, of course not." he said quickly. "But are we to take what others say at face value? You always taught us so differently."_

_Giuseppe got up, and poured himself, and Stefan, a drink._

_"Stefan...These creatures are of the darkest parts of Hell. They have the ability to control your mind, seduce your spirit. They are deadly. They must be destroyed." he sat back down, handing the other glass to his son. "Those who stand with them; those who bring shame to their families will be destroyed as well." he added, almost as a warning._

_His father raised his glass to Stefan, who clinked it with a weak smile. Stefan obviously wasn't settled completely._

~0~

**Caroline's POV**

Suddenly, it seemed to dawn on Stefan.

"I know where it is." he said, quickly getting up.

I stood up as well, surprised at how quickly he figured it out.

 _Take it to his grave..._  I thought to myself, and then it clicked.

~0~

**Third Person POV**

Anna and Jeremy parted ways, and Damon silently tailed the girl back to her hotel room.

Unknown to Damon's presence, she unlocked the hotel door, and entered the room. While she was shutting the door, Damon appeared, jumping through the doorway. He grabbed Anna by the throat, and slammed her into the wall. Anna, despite being shorter, also grabbed Damon's throat. They both groaned and coughed, trying to get air. As they were from the same time frame, they were about the same age, thus having the same strengths.

Still choking, Damon coughed out. "OK, I give. OK."

They released each other, rubbing their own necks.

"Damn. You're strong for a little thing." Damon commented, surprised.

"I was wondering how long it would take you to find me." she said, staring up at him.

~0~

Meanwhile, in Mystic Fall's cemetery, Stefan, Elena and Caroline stood at Giuseppe's tombstone. Stefan had decided to explain the situation to Elena, who was surprised and wary of Damon finding out.

Stefan walked around the grave, solemnly taking out torches and supplies, getting ready.

"Why isn't your father buried in your family's tomb?" Elena asked, leaning against a tree. She had already voiced her opinion on grave digging. She wasn't planning on helping, and Stefan was okay on that. Caroline, on the other hand, wasn't going to make Stefan dig up his own father's grave, alone.

"It wasn't built until well after he died." he explained, rubbing the dirt off his hands.

"And are you sure the grimoire's in there with him?" Elena asked, scrunching up her nose and looking down at the grave.

"As sure as I could be." Stefan said, seemingly oblivious to Elena's disgust.

"Great." she replied sarcastically.

Stefan picked up a shovel off the ground, and started to dig. Caroline grabbed a shovel as well, and helped.

"Care. I can do this on my own." he said, and she looked at him incredulously.

"I'm not letting you dig up your own father's grave alone, Stefan."

He stared at her for a moment, before nodding.

"I'm sorry that you have to do this." Elena said softly, rubbing Stefan's shoulder. He smiled weakly at her, and they began to dig.

When they were digging, Stefan allowed himself to drift back to the past.

**Flashback to 1864 – Stefan's room:**

" _And this." Katherine said, her eyes turning red. She sunk her fangs into Stefan's shoulder, causing him to groan loudly. Suddenly, she pulled away, coughing and gasping for air._

_Sitting up, he stared at her in worry. "_ _What? What?"_

" _Vervain." she wheezed, and his eyes widened, confused._

" _What?"_

_She fell off the bed the bed with a thump, and Stefan jumped off the bed, kneeling next to her._

" _Katherine! Katherine!" he called in shock._

_Suddenly, his father burst through the door, meeting his son's shocked expression._

" _Go get the sheriff. Tell him we have a vampire." he ordered._

" _What? No!" Stefan argued, patting Katherine's face, trying to revive her._

" _Do as I say, son! Nothing that you feel for her is real. She's a vampire, Stefan! A monster! I fed you vervain hoping that it would expose her." he yelled, pointing out the door._

" _How did you know?" asked Stefan in disbelief._

" _Your sympathy for their plight. I didn't raise my sons to be so weak." he sneered, and threw Stefan a clean shirt. "The sheriff, now. Go, quickly! Now, son!"_

_Stefan hesitated for another moment before scrambling to his feet and running out the door._

_I'm sorry, Katherine. Was his only intelligible thought._

~0~

**Present Time:**

Anna took her purse off and set it on the side table.

"How long have you been here?" Damon asked, leaning against the entertainment center.

She looked at Damon. "I arrived around half-past comet, watching you screw up every chance you had to open that tomb." she shook her head, still shocked that someone so old could make such simple mistakes.

"How did you know about the spell?" Damon asked. Even he had to go looking for the spell, it didn't just come to him.

Anna grinned slyly. "I didn't say much back then, which means I  _heard_   _everything_."

Damon moved closer, looking down at her, trying to intimidate her.

"So if you've been here the whole time, then why are we just crossing paths right now?"

Anna moved away, and a smirk passed over Damon's face. She began to pace the room.

"I like to use others to do my dirty work."

"Like Logan Fell? Oh, yeah, thanks for that, by the way. Little bastard shot me." Damon rubbed his chest, and Anna rolled her eyes.

"Logan was an idiot."

"Mm-hmm. So was that other guy, Noah." He studied her, gauging her reaction.

Anna nodded. "Obsessed with Chandra's twin, yeah. He was a little obsessive." she paused, and moved onto Logan. "We slipped him some blood when he started getting all poser slayer with that compass. I needed his family's journal. I couldn't let him die."

"What'd you want with the Fell journal?" Damon asked, moving to plop down on the bed.

She shrugged. "I thought it contained the location of the witch's spell book. I was wrong. According to her journal, Honoria gave the grimoire to Jonathan Gilbert. And, according to this..."

Going over to the other bed, she pulled the journal out of the bag.

Anna: "He gave it to William Forbes – but he didn't want it and gave it back – supposedly. It's kind of hard to read. The guy raved like a lunatic. So now you're going to help me find it."

Damon leaned back onto his hands, and raised both his eyebrows. "Why would I help you?"

"'Cause you and I both want that tomb open." she confidently said, handing the journal to Damon, and he read the page Anna pointed out.

"Hmm." he shut the journal, and put it back on the bed. "Sorry. I work alone."

And he was gone with a whoosh.

~0~

**Bonnie's POV**

I headed towards the restroom, glancing happily back at Ben.

For some reason, I quickened my pace and glanced back, hoping he wasn't following me. I continued walking, and suddenly, Ben was inches in front of me, right in front of the door to the bathroom. My heart thudded in my chest.

_He was a vampire!  
_

I gasped, but before I could even scream, Ben clapped a hand over my mouth and dragged me into the restroom, without anyone noticing.

~0~

**Caroline's POV**

We continued to shovel dirt out of the grave. Elena stood beside the deep hole, beaming the flashlight down so we can see what we were doing. At least she was being helpful...

I suddenly laughed, shaking my head. Stefan looked over at me, confused.

"What?"

"Never thought I'd be digging up my best guy friends' father's grave." I laughed ironically again, and he smiled.

Elena made a grossed out face, but stayed silent.

We continued to dig. I paused, wiping sweat off my forehead. Suddenly, I heard a clank as Stefan's shovel hit something solid.

We looked at each other with apprehension.

After scraping the dirt off the top, Stefan and I threw our shovels out of the hole.

Stefan knelt down on the coffin, and wiped away the rest of the dirt with his hands.

Elena got onto her knees to get a better look, holding the beam steady for us. Stefan opened the lid of the coffin, the wood splintering.

"Is that it?" Elena whispered, and I glanced up at her nodding.

Taking a deep breath, Stefan retrieved the grimoire, which was cradled in his father's arms.

I took it from him, and I saw him shaking. Handing the book to Elena, I gave him a hug.

"It's okay." I whispered, hugging him tight. "I know."

He pulled away, giving me a tight lipped smile.

His eyes were watery and he shut the coffin, regaining his composure. Stefan stood up and we carefully scrambled out of the grave, inching away from the edge. Elena shined the beam on the grimoire and Stefan ripped off the cover. I carefully turned the pages of the grimoire, looking for the spell.

"Well, what do you know?" a voice said from the darkness, and my heart thundered in my chest. Klaus and Damon stepped into the torchlight, and we got up, walking towards them. Stefan cradled the grimoire protectively to his chest.

Damon's lips were curled up into a snarl.

"This is an interesting turn of events." Klaus murmured, his eyes narrowed. He looked from me to Elena, and then finally to Stefan.

"I can't let you bring her back, Damon. I'm sorry." Stefan said, avoiding his gaze.

Damon laughed dryly. "So am I. For thinking for even  _a_   _second_  that I could trust you."

Stefan rolled his eyes, and the tension grew. "Oh. You're not capable of trust. The fact that you're even here means that you read the journal and you were planning on doing this yourself."

"Of course I was going to do it without you!" he exclaimed. "Because the only one I can count on is Klaus! Not you! You made sure of that many years ago, Stefan. But you..."

Damon looked at me, and his eyes betrayed his angry expression. He actually was hurt.

"You had me fooled." he scowled, and looked at Elena. "Both of you."

I felt so ashamed, despite Damon's moral standing. He was my friend, I had to admit, and I betrayed him.

"So what are you going to do now? Because if you try and destroy that, I'll rip her heart out." Damon said, not specifying who 'her' was.

"You won't kill her." Stefan said lowly, and Damon nodded.

Damon vamp-sped over to Elena and grabbed her in a choke hold. I stepped back, and the floor was not longer there. I fell backwards, into the grave. With a shriek, I hit the coffin, the old wood crackling. My head ached, and my back felt bruised. I was partially amazed I was still conscious.

"I can do one better." I heard Damon say, and he glanced down into the hole at me.

I heard the biting of flesh, and squinted. My world was beginning to spin and my head pounded. Damon shoved his bloody wrist at Elena's lips, making her drink. She squeaked, and scratched at his arms.

"Give me the book, Stefan, or I'm snapping her neck. And you and I will have a vampire girlfriend."

~0~

**Third Person POV**

"Let her go first." Stefan said, not trusting him.

Damon pulled his wrist away from Elena's mouth, and gestured at Klaus. He ran by Stefan and picked up the stunned Caroline.

"Caroline!" Stefan exclaimed, and Klaus stood by Damon. Caroline was on her feet, only barely conscious. Klaus held her to his chest, not letting her go anywhere, but he didn't have her in a choke hold. Part of him didn't want to damage her farther than she already was.

"The book!" Damon firmly demanded.

"I'm not going to give this to you until they are standing next to me." he countered, and Damon chuckled.

"Problem is, I no longer trust that you'll give it back!"

Elena weakly struggled in his arms, her face turning slightly pink. Damon loosened his grip ever so slightly, not wanting to hurt her. A hurt girlfriend would not make an easy trade.

"You just did the one thing that ensures that I will." he said solemnly.

Damon and Klaus met eyes, and suddenly Damon nodded at Stefan.

"Ok." Stefan said nervously, looking from Caroline to Elena.

Stefan, eyes filled with terror, slowly set the book on the ground. He kept his gaze on Elena and Caroline, who was now a bit more conscious, and wriggling in Klaus' iron grasp.

Damon slowly let go of Elena, and she ran into Stefan's arms. Stefan wraps her in a warm embrace. Elena looks at Damon, terrified, and Stefan turned to Klaus.

"Klaus." he said, slowly.

Caroline wriggled again, and Klaus dipped his head, burying his nose into Caroline's hair. He breathed deep, before looking at Stefan.

Damon had the book in his hands now and Stefan stared pointedly at Klaus, who finally gave in and let go of the blonde, who staggered over to her friends.

~0~

_**Flashback to1864** _

_Jonathan Gilbert and William Forbes were at the head of the pack of the men, a compass in William's hands. They were on a hunt for vampires._

" _Make sure the two of you stick together!" a companion said, and the pair nodded._

" _Go and check those woods over there!" another called._

_The men continued to talk and order each other around._

_Meanwhile, at the Salvatore House, Giuseppe watched the Sheriff place a muzzle over Katherine. Another man came over and they carted her off. Damon bolted into the room._

" _What's going on?"_

_Damon gasped when he saw Katherine, his mind immediately jumping to Chandra._

_Katherine looked over at Damon, to weak to do anything._

_Save me! Her eyes said, but Damon was more worried about Chandra to notice._

_Stefan ran into the room, tears streaming down his face. "Father! No!"_

_"Do you know what they'll do to you if you're branded a sympathizer? You'll be killed along with them!" Giuseppe yelled, and Stefan grabbed his father by the shoulders._

_Looking him dead in the eye, he said,"Then let me be killed!"_

~0~

**C** **aroline's POV**

I sat on Elena's bed, watching Elena search her bathroom drawers for aspirin.

Stefan was leaning against the doorway and watching Elena as well.

"Aspirin must be downstairs." she groaned dramatically. "Is my head  _supposed_  to hurt like this?"

"Oh, you'll be fine." Stefan chuckled quietly, earning a glare from Elena. "That was just a small amount of blood. It should pass out of your system by tomorrow." Stefan said

Elena looked to me. "Are you OK?"

I nodded slowly. "Yeah. I think I might have a concussion and a bruised back but I'm fine."

"Damon was right. This is, uh...this is my fault." Stefan suddenly admitted, and I looked at him in confusion.

"What do you mean?"

_**Flashback to 1864** _

_Two men carry Katherine to a cart and place her in it. Stefan runs toward the cart, Damon close behind him. They stopped close to the cart, tears streaming down Stefan's face._

_A pair of men were struggling with a gagged blonde, and when they got closer, Damon realized it was Chandra._

_A strangled gasp escaped his throat, and he started to run to her. Stefan stopped him, saying. "Damon! Damon! Stop, stop. I'll help you. We'll get her back."_

_The elder violently shoved away Stefan. "Help me!? Don't you think that you've done enough? You promised you wouldn't tell him!"_

_"I didn't think this would happen." he stuttered out, and the cart with the girls in it slowly left._

_Damon glared at Stefan._

_Stefan had never seen his brother so angry before. With an intense look in his eye, he snarled, "You did this. This is your fault." before running off into the woods._

**Present Time:**

"I put my faith in my father, but Damon put his faith in me, and I destroyed that. This is my fault." Stefan finished looking down.

~0~

**Caroline's POV**

Elena caressed Stefan's face, a sad look on her own. "You didn't do anything wrong. Don't forget that."

"Okay." he mumbled, and looked at us thankfully.

I smiled sadly at Stefan, and hugged him sideways with my left arm.

Elena suddenly let out another dramatic groan, her hand going to her head.

"Let's go get you that aspirin." Stefan said, and they got up, leaving me in her room.

~0~

**Third Person POV:**

"Oh, hey, Stefan." Jeremy greeted walking into the kitchen were Jenna was looking for Aspirin, Elena was drinking water and Stefan was leaning against the door frame. He glanced around the room, his brows furrowed. "Where'd she go?:

"She went to the bathroom." Jenna said, still digging through a very cluttered drawer.

"Where'd who go?" asked Stefan, looking at Jeremy.

"He has a friend over." Jenna said, fishing out a pill bottle and handing it to Elena.

"Anna." Jeremy said, blushing slightly

A look of recognition washed across his face, and Stefan quickly ran upstairs.

"Caroline!" he called, and when he peeked in, she was asleep on Elena's bed.

He sighed in relief, going back downstairs.

_Little did he know, someone was leaning against the wall, out of Stefan's gaze._


	37. Fool Me Once : Part One

_Previously on Everything Changes..._

_A look of recognition washed across his face, and Stefan quickly ran upstairs._

" _Caroline!" he called, and when he peeked in, she was asleep on Elena's bed._

_He sighed in relief, going back downstairs._

_Little did he know, someone was leaning against the wall, out of Stefan's gaze._

* * *

**Caroline's POV**

My head aching, I woke to a strange hotel room.

 _Where was I?_  I thought, my eyes darting around in shock.

I glanced around again for a way to escape, and then my eyes landed on the front door. Taking a calming deep breath, I quietly slid off the bed, my bare feet touching the cold carpeted floor.

Softly walking to the door, my heart pounded in my chest. I took another breath, trying to get it to slow down.

I didn't know who kidnapped me, but I sure as hell didn't want them to know that I was awake.

I glanced behind me once more before unlocking the deadbolt on the door. I looked back warily again and began to slide out the chain, when a deep voice met my ears.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you."

My breath catching in my throat, I spun around.

_Ben._

He inched towards me slowly, and I felt my arms shake. Clenching my fists, he was in front of me in moments.

Grabbing my chin in his hand, he tried to compelled me. "Don't try to escape. Don't even move. Understand?"

I nodded slowly, and he glanced down at my neck. My necklace was gone, but I still had vervain in my system from the cup of tea I had last night.

"I understand." I said, meeting his eyes.

Ben smirked, turning around to get into the mini fridge.

I opened the front door and bolted out, but someone grabbed my hair and jerked me backwards. I yelped in pain, and when I was back inside the room, I saw it was Anna...and Klaus.

"Seriously?" Anna demanded, glaring at Ben.

"I told her not to move! I did that eye thing he taught me too!" he protested, looking a bit confused.

Klaus scoffed, avoiding my gaze. "She lives in a house full of vampires, mate. She's going to be on vervain."

"Duh!" Anna added, rolling her eyes.

Suddenly Klaus had me up against the back wall, right next to the bathroom door.

"Are you on vervain?"he demanded studying my face.

I scoffed, swallowing back my fear.

"What do you want?" I asked, looking over to Anna. I knew she was friends with Jeremy, but other than that, I knew nothing.

"Does it matter?" Klaus asked, staring down at me with a smirk.

He let me away from the wall, only to push me into the bathroom and slam the door behind me.

I lost my balance and fell against the hard tile floor. Hissing in pain, I got to my feet and felt around for a light switch.

Calmly searching for another exit, I discovered Bonnie inside the bath tub, unconscious.

I shook her slightly, getting worried. " _Bon_?" I lifted up her head to discover a pool of blood.

_Oh no._

**Third Person POV**

Damon sat in the study, reading through the Grimoire he had taken from Stefan.

His phone rang for practically the six hundredth time, but he silenced it. Rolling his eyes, he tossed it back onto the couch and went back to reading.

The front door slammed and Stefan walked into the room. "Aren't you gonna answer your damn phone? Anna took Elena and Caroline!"

Damon didn't even glance up. "I got that from your six hundred voice mails."

Stefan strode across the room. "Damon, do you even care? I've been searching all night! What if your blood isn't out of her system?"

He shrugged his shoulders, briefly glancing up at his younger brother. "Well, at least you'll see her again."

"Please." Stefan said, sitting on the coffee table and staring at Damon intently. "What do you know? You were with Anna, you must know where she's living. Just tell me where, and I'll get out of your hair."

Damon raised an eyebrow and met his brother's intense eye contact. "Nah, you can go...really."

Stefan sighed, rubbing his forehead. "You know, all I can remember is hating you. There might have been a time when that was different, but your choices have removed anything redeeming about you. But see, I also know you have just as much reason to hate me." he looked at his brother with an earnest expression. "This all began with me. Chandra got taken away from you because of me. And I'm sorry."

"Apology accepted." Damon said, still reading the Grimoire.

"So  _please_ , just tell me what you know." Stefan pleaded, and Damon didn't say anything more than a  _huh_. "It's Caroline and Elena, Damon. If you know anything, please tell me."

Damon stood up, setting the book on the arm of the chair. Stefan mimicked him, looking at Damon anxiously.

"I mean this sincerely, brother."

Stefan nodded, anticipating his answer.

"I hope they die."

Stefan's face dropped and Damon grabbed the book, leaving the room.

**Caroline's POV**

After discovering Bonnie, I got a spare washrag off the rack above the toilet, and wet it in the sink. Wringing it out, I placed it on Bonnie's forehead, waiting for my friend to awaken.

"Bonnie?" I whispered when I saw her eyes flutter.

"Caroline?" she mumbled, trying to sit up.

I kept her down, gently pushing her back down. "Good, you're okay." I smiled faintly and Bonnie put a hand to her forehead.

"My head..." she groaned and shut her eyes for a moment.

Suddenly she bolted up, exclaiming, "Oh my god! Ben is a-"

I threw my hand out and clamped it over her mouth. Shushing her, I tapped my ear and gestured towards the door. "They can hear." I breathed.

She nodded, and I got up, going over and turning on the faucet.

"I'm so stupid." Bonnie moaned.

I shook my head, speaking lowly. "No you aren't, we all were fooled." I trailed off. "Klaus seems to be working with them too."

"Why? What's even going on?"

I shrugged. "Must have something to do with Emily's Grimoire and the tomb."

"Grimoire?" she asked, furrowing her brows in confusion.

I nodded slowly. "Spell book." I explained. "Damon said it could be used to open the tomb."

"Why didn't I know about any of this?" she asked, searching my expression.

I gnawed on my lip. "We wanted to keep you out of it...I hoped it never came to this."

"Came to what?" she asked softly, and I met her eyes.

"They need a witch to break the spell and let the vampires out..." I replied, averting my gaze.

"No way!" Bonnie murmured, and I nodded in agreement.

Suddenly someone burst through the door and I saw Klaus standing in the doorway, his expression hard. My arms instinctively went to my friend, grabbing her shoulders.

Klaus stalked over to the sink and turned off the water.

"You're wasting your time. I'm not going to help you." Bonnie said firmly, gazing up at the vampire.

Klaus paused a few feet in front of us and calmly gazed down at us. He smirked devilishly before yanking me off the ground. I yelped in shock and Bonnie struggled to grab me, but she failed.

Klaus pulled me to his chest, holding me in a headlock.

**Third Person POV**

"That's why Blondie's here." Klaus murmured down at Bonnie. "Motivation for you to behave. You know how easy necks snap around here." he jutted his eyebrows up with a smirk. "You know, you shouldn't be so desperate, love. Made it easy for Ben."

Klaus released Caroline and shoved her out of the room. Bonnie got up from the tub, wanting to follow, but Klaus slammed the door in her face.

"She wants to talk to you." Ben said from the foot of the bed.

Caroline got her bearings back and looked at Anna, who was leaning against the entertainment center. She was shorter than her, but Caroline knew Anna was faster and stronger than she could ever be.

"Well, well, Caroline Forbes." she looked her up and down, a confident smirk on her face. "You really are a doppelganger. Spitting image of Chandra. You must have the Salvatore  _boys_  reeling." she smirked and glanced back at Klaus suggestively.

"What do you want, Anna?" Caroline grumbled, having heard Jeremy talk about her before.

"So you do know my name." she grinned. "Elena's brother may have mentioned me. I mean, we're like, practically dating."

_Meanwhile, at the Grill..._

"Hey Jeremy." Elena said, walking over to him. "Where's Caroline? I've been texting her all day about Duke's party."

Jeremy's looked up. "Stefan was looking for you,"

Color rose to Elena's cheeks and she shrugged. "Oh, I was at Bonnie's." she lied smoothly. "So have you seen them or not?"

Jeremy shook his head. "I think they went somewhere with Stefan."

Elena rolled her eyes. "I'm so not going to be one of those girls who runs off with their best friend's boyfriend." she scoffed, and glanced over at Matt, who had been looking at her the whole time.

"Who's Duke?" he asked, and Elena waved her hand as if it was no big deal.

"Some guy that graduated a couple of years ago. He throws a huge party every time he comes home."

"Wait, Duke goes to Duke?" he asked again, still not following.

Elena scrunched up her nose. "His real name's Bob or something. He buys the beer. May be a total ass, but whatever."

Jeremy laughed and Elena went over to Matt.

"I have to tell you something." Elena said, and Matt raised an eyebrow.

"Go on?"

"So, I know things won't work out between us, because you know, I have a boyfriend and everything...and we kissed... a lot...and I don't regret it, but it can't happen again."

Matt looked a bit hurt, but didn't respond.

While this was going on, Damon was at Bonnie's Gram's house, having confronted the older witch. His head felt like it was exploding, and he fell to the ground, clutching his head.

"I am not Bonnie, and you do  _not_  want to mess with me, Mr. Salvatore." she said before going back inside and slamming the door.

Once the pain was gone, Damon got up and went to his car, getting in and driving off. His mind was a mess.

The fact that Caroline was in Anna's possession worried him, despite his efforts to not care. He wanted to go and rescue her, but her betrayal had hurt him.

**Caroline's POV**

Anna peered out the curtain, her eyes narrowing.

"Bonnie won't open that tomb, you know." I said, shifting my weight to my left leg.

Anna turned around and raised an eyebrow, chuckling. "Oh, I think she will."

"Why do  _you_  want Katherine and Chandra out so bad?" I retorted, and Anna laughed again.

"Trust me, no one I know  _wants_  to see either of those girls again. Except maybe Damon or Klaus-" she glanced over at Klaus and smirked. "Lovestruck idiots."

I heard Klaus' growl of warning and she held up her hands innocently.

"Then what is it?" I asked, genuinely curious. "Or who is it?"

"My mother's in there." she admitted, and walked closer to me. "They just couldn't help themselves, toying with the both of them. Katherine got caught, as did Chandra. It's a miracle Klaus here didn't get caught." her eyes got a far away look in them and she sighed. "When Chandra got caught, so did my mother. I watched William Forbes take her away."

I frowned. "I'm sorry." I was sincere, and Anna looked a bit amazed.

"You actually mean that, don't you?" she scoffed. "Yeah, we're going to skip the weird dead mom bonding so you can finally serve a purpose."

"Which is...?"

"Leverage!" she grinned. "This belong to you?" she held up my phone, and I reached out for it, and she pulled it away.

"Ah-ah-ah!" she tutted, and walked to the other side of the room, dialing someone.

"Elena?" Anna looked confused, and she looked back at Ben and Klaus, who shrugged. "She's not here. I don't have her."

Stefan said something and Anna replied.

"She's fine." she laughed. "For now. Tell me you have the Grimoire and she'll stay fine."

**Third Person POV**

Damon walked into the study of the Salvatore House, listening into his brother's conversation. The mention of Caroline and Elena caught his attention.

"I can get it." Stefan said, and Anna sighed in response as if it was such a hassle to deal with all this.

" _Which means Damon has it. And I have the witch and his girl. So one of you better meet me in the very public town square in 30 minutes. Then we can safely discuss how lovely it will be to work together._ "

Anna hung up before Stefan could respond, and he glanced at his brother, who had a blank expression on his face, his lips set in a straight line.

A smirk drifted over his face. "Go ahead. Grovel again." Damon picked up the book off the table and waved it at his brother. "Oh...wait... I don't care."

Damon left.

Back at the hotel, Ben went into the bathroom to check on Bonnie.

"We're leaving." Anna said to Ben, who had just led Bonnie out of the bathroom. "Keep them buttoned down."

Klaus sighed, and looked at the younger vampire. "Compulsion won't work, so just use violence." he gave a pointed look to Ben as if they had discussed this particular subject before, and they had. He didn't want Caroline injured. His plans with her required her in one piece.

"Right." he nodded, and pushed Bonnie onto the bed. "Sit down." he said sternly to Caroline, who plopped down on the foot of the bed with a sigh.

Anna and Klaus left, and Caroline stared off at her supposed friend, wondering why he was working with Anna.

 _Did that mean Damon was working with them too?_   _Had Damon even arranged this?_

"So you're the key to this." Ben said to Bonnie, leaning against the entertainment center. "Literally. You open the door," Ben pulled over a chair and sat down on it. "So, how long you been a witch?

Bonnie didn't respond, simply scowled and looked at Caroline.

"Is there anything to drink here?" Caroline asked, changing the subject.

He got up and walked over to the blonde, who did her best to stare challengingly up at him. "Are you offering?"

"No." she said firmly, and broke eye contact.

"Over on the nightstand." he said, and Caroline scooted back to grab it, before taking a small sip.

"Hey." Bonnie said, a strange look in her eye. "Could I have some?"

She pulled the glass down away from her mouth, and furrowed her brows. "Sure."

Handing over the glass, Caroline realized what she would probably do.

Bonnie started to take a sip, but a split second later she tossed it on Ben, the glass hitting the floor and shattering.

Bonnie whispered a few words, and the water on him turned into flames.

Yelping in pain, he patted at the fire, and they got up, running for the door.

Bonnie made it there first, ripping open the door and running out.

Caroline felt Ben's fingertips graze her forearm and she lurched out of his reach, standing out in the sunlight with Bonnie.

Ben snarled and they took off down the sidewalk, running for the stairs.

The girls glanced at the outdoor staircase and saw the number 3. Scrambling down the stairs, the stairs rumbled loudly.

Reaching the second floor platform, someone appeared in front of Caroline, causing her to screech.

_Klaus._

Bonnie stood cautiously on the third step headed down, staring at Klaus and Caroline, who were staring at each other, as if they were deciding what to do.

Klaus said. "Where do you think you're going, love?"

Damon, who was at the town square, only two short blocks away from the hotel, had heard the scream, faintly. Furrowing his brows he left the meeting site, walking briskly down the road.

_It had come from the direction of Anna's hotel._

He paused in the street, looking up at the third floor. He scanned the walkway, not seeing anything, then a movement caught his eye.

There stood Klaus, holding Caroline in a headlock, saying something to Bonnie, who was standing on the stairs. Damon could hear their fast heartbeats from the ground.

_What was Klaus doing?_

Damon started to head up there, when something Blondie said made him pause.

"Why are you doing this, Klaus?" Caroline demanded, shifting in his tight grip.

"Damon hadn't gotten anywhere, and Anna is more capable, love." he said nonchalantly, and Damon narrowed his eyes, still down on the ground.

Suddenly Klaus was on his knees, holding his hands to his head, groaning in agony. Caroline and Bonnie sprinted down the stairs, and Damon went over to the exit, pausing at the bottom.

"Hellooo, Blondie." Damon said as they came into view, and Caroline's eyes widened, pausing.

 _Did she really think that he was working with Anna too?_  He wondered, and Damon held up his hands. Bonnie narrowed her eyes and glared cautiously at him.

"Whoa, easy there witchy. I'm not working with them. Chill."

Caroline slowly stepped down to the concrete. "Thanks so much for rescuing us." she said sarcastically, brushing by him.

A whiff of blood met his nose, and he reached out, grabbing her wrist.

"You're hurt." he mumbled, narrowing his eyebrows. He squinted his eyes, trying to find out where.

Caroline brought a hand up to her head, and felt around. She had woken up with a killer headache, but there wasn't any blood.

Looking down at her feet, which were starting to tingle, she noticed blood seeping between her toes.

"I must have stepped on the glass." she murmured, looking to Bonnie, who frowned.

Damon's eyes darted up to Klaus, who was leaning over the railing, peering down at them.

"Hello, Klaus." Damon called. "You double crossing bitch."

Klaus sped down the stairs, and Damon pulled Caroline behind him, Bonnie scrambling to get away.

"Just because I have other help doesn't mean I'm double crossing you." Klaus mused, smirking.

Damon narrowed his eyes and attacked the older vampire.

There was a blur of punches and kicks, before Damon was on the ground.

"Bonnie, do something!" Caroline exclaimed, and Bonnie brought Klaus to his knees again, and Damon struggled to his feet.

"C'mon." the blonde said, helping Damon up.

Caroline then looked to Bonnie. "Can you keep him down?"

She furrowed her brows but nodded, concentrating.

Caroline went over to the vampire, still on the ground, and slipped her hand into his jacket pocket. Not finding what she was looking for, she searched the other, pulling out her locket.

Staring down at Klaus with a strange look, Caroline turned to her friend. "Okay, we can go now."

Damon looked to the two girls before walking away.

~0~

Damon watched Anna and Jeremy converse for a moment, and then he approached when little Gilbert was gone.

"Got a hot date or are you just planning on nabbing your own Gilbert?"

Anna smirked and they sat down on the bench. "A party, right next to the old cemetery. Isn't that nice of them? Lots of warm bodies for starving vampires."

"I told you, I work alone for a reason." Damon suddenly said, and Anna peered at the man.

"I know Klaus is working with you." Damon said, beginning to look angry.

Anna scratched the back of her neck, not knowing what to say.

"He came to me." she explained, turning to face him. "He said-"

"I know what he said." Damon cut her off.

Anna furrowed her brows. "How?"

"You may need to find a new babysitter for your prisoners." Damon smirked at Anna's annoyed grunt.

"You know, Stefan will come after you. He wont be happy with you for messing with Blondie. He treats her like his little sister."

"Don't you mean  _you_  won't be happy? She looks like Chandra, Damon. I know how you looked at her and know that Caroline can't be much different." Anna said, studying his reaction.

Damon growled, getting up.

"Neither of you will be happy when I kill her if I don't get what I want." Anna said, walking away.

"Wait." Damon sighed heavily. "When do you want to do this?"

Anna chuckled and turned around. " _God._  It's like 1864 all over again. You Salvatores are pathetic when it comes to women. You think you'd realize Chandra slept with Stefan too, Damon. She wasn't just yours." after a beat, she continued. "Tonight. After sundown. Meet at the church."

~0~

Caroline used the phone at Mystic Grill, calling Stefan and telling him where they were. She had gotten a few looks from her messed up hair and bare feet, but no one said anything.

When Stefan arrived at the Grill a while later, they all piled into Caroline's car and headed over to Bonnie's Gram's.

~0~

**Caroline's POV**

"Why did you ask Anna were Elena was?" I asked Stefan on the way over.

He glanced back at me. "She was missing this morning. I assumed she got taken too."

Bonnie furrowed her brows, shaking her head. "No she wasn't with us."

Stefan glanced at me in the rear-view mirror. "She just appeared at the Grill this morning. I don't even know where she went. Wouldn't tell me."

I furrowed my brows. "Strange."

He nodded slowly and pulled into the driveway, parking the car.

After bandaging up my foot and putting on shoes that Stefan had brought, Elena arrived.

"Hey." Elena said, plopping down on the couch next to me. "Am I late?"

I nodded. "A little."

She bobbed her head, not offering an apology.

After explaining the situation to everyone, making sure we were all caught up, we talked about what we were going to do.

"Maybe we  _should_ help him. He won't stop until he gets her. If we help him, then it'll all be over." I suggested hesitantly.

"No!" Bonnie exclaimed. "He doesn't deserve to get what he wants!"

I gazed at Stefan before sighing. "What other choice do we have, Bonnie? Damon will get what he wants one way or another, and this way we could at least make sure that the other vampires don't get out."

"Witches being pulled down by vampire problems. As much as we tried to do to stay out of it." Sheila sighed. "I'll open the tomb. You get your brother's girl and destroy the rest with fire.  _Then_  this will be all over."

"We still have to get Damon to agree..." reminded Elena.

"He already agreed once." I said, smiling hopefully.

Stefan rubbed his forehead. "Yeah, then we double crossed him, so now he's not happy."

"But he  _did_  save you." Elena said, a smirk growing on her lips. "You could try to influence him, Caroline. It worked before."

"We saved ourselves!" Bonnie protested, not wanting to feel like she owed Damon anything.

I looked at Stefan and huffed. "I know what I need to do."

**Third Person POV**

Anna went straight to the hotel room after leaving Damon. Looking around before jumping straight up to the 3rd floor platform, she saw the door wide open.

"You've got to be kidding me." she groaned, going inside.

Ben was crouched between the two beds, a hoodie over his head. "It was that witch. Nothing I could-"

Anna cut him off, throwing up her finger. "Shut up. I don't want to hear it."

Sitting down in the chair, she rubbed her face in annoyance. "There's gotta be something we can do. Without the witch, we don't have Damon or the Grimoire. Damon won't stop – he'll find a way in, and we'll be there when he does."

**Caroline's POV**

I entered the parlor, taking off my scarf.

"Hi." I greeted, standing in the archway.

Damon adjusted his jacket, which he had just put on.

He glanced at me. "Blondie. I'm going to have to change the locks."

I raised an eyebrow. "I live here too, y'know."

"Exactly why I have to change the locks." he smirked slightly, and picked up the Grimoire.

"I convinced Bonnie to help you." I murmured, and he glanced at me again.

"I doubt that." he shook his head and walked towards me.

"I'm not going to apologize to you for getting the Grimoire without, because I'd be lying." I looked at the floor for a moment, my tongue darting out to lick my lips.

"At least you're being honest this time." Damon mumbled, and I exhaled quickly, scoffing.

"I was protecting people I love, Damon." I descended the two steps into the parlor. "But you were too, in a weird way. And that makes us on the same side, after the same thing."

"Not interested." he mumbled, starting to leave.

"You were willing to work with us yesterday, so don't lie to me, Damon."

Damon lowered his eyebrows and frowned, studying me. "Fool me once, shame on you."

I grumbled in annoyance, stepping forward. We were now maybe six feet away.

"Okay, when we went to Atlanta, why didn't you use your compulsion on me?"

"Who's to say I didn't?" he retorted.

"You didn't." I stated."I  _know_  you didn't. But you could have. You and I...we have..something." I paused, meeting his gaze. "An understanding, almost. I know my betrayal hurt you, and I'm sorry, Damon. I didn't want to hurt you. And I know its different from how it is with you and Stefan, but I promise you. I will help you get Chandra back."

Damon's eyes searched mine, his brows still lowered. He groaned, still unconvinced. "I wish I could believe you."

I looked around before huffing a sigh. I unclasped my necklace, holding it up by the chain so Damon could see the pendant dangling in mid air. I tossed in to the side table, and it slid across, clattering into the lamp. "Ask me if I'm lying now." I shifted my weight to my other leg, folding my arms.

Damon walked up to me, searching my face.

I was actually being sincere this time, and did my best to prove it to him. I met his eyes, holding his gaze for two seconds...three..four... he broke contact first, glancing down at my necklace before back at me.

"You know Anna and Klaus won't stop, by the way, no matter what I do." he stared at my green eyes for a few more seconds.

"I'm sorry Klaus betrayed you." I whispered, catching his gaze again. "You keep getting betrayed, and I know that has to hurt."

Damon picked up my necklace and held the two sides in each hand. His hands slid up the sides of my neck, under my hair, causing chill bumps to slide down my back. He clasped the necklace and pulled away, smoothing my hair down.

I swallowed, growing nervous.

"I didn't compel you in Atlanta because we were having fun, Caroline." he cupped my face with his hand. "I wanted it to be real...and it was."

He looked like he wanted to say more. "I'm trusting you, Blondie. Don't make me regret it."

He grinned halfheartedly at me before leaving.


	38. Fool Me Once : Part Two

_Previously on Everything Changes..._

_I swallowed, growing nervous._

" _I didn't compel you in Atlanta because we were having fun, Caroline." he cupped my face with his hand. "I wanted it to be real...and it was."_

_He looked like he wanted to say more. "I'm trusting you, Blondie. Don't make me regret it."_

_He grinned lopsidedly at me before leaving._

* * *

**Caroline's POV**

I arrived at Duke's party, knowing it was close to the Church.

"I hope they stay clear of the church." I said to Stefan, who nodded slowly in agreement, staring at the mass of drunken kids.

"Your wish, not mine." Damon said, walking out of the shadowy forest.

Suddenly, Matt and Elena walk up, hand in hand.

"Caroline, hey!" Elena greeted, and her eyes darted over to Stefan, who averted his eyes awkwardly.

_What's going on with them?_

"Where have you been?" I asked, looking at their entwined hands in confusion.

"Long story." she giggled. "No time to tell it."

"Yeah, what she said." Damon said, and Matt seemed to just then notice the older vampire.

"We haven't met." he extended his hand. "I'm Matt."

Stefan watched his brother and Matt carefully. Damon glanced down at his hand, but didn't offer his own.

"Matt, there's a reason we haven't met." he looked to me, grabbing my arm. "You and I are going that way."

Elena and Matt stared at Damon and I in confusion.

"I'm sorry, guys!" I called and went off with Damon, Stefan right on our heels.

Once we were out of Elena's earshot, I turned to Stefan.

"You and Elena broke up? Why didn't you tell me?"

He shrugged, looking down. "I don't have time to worry about that right now." he gestured with his eyes to Damon, who didn't seem too interested in the conversation.

"This conversation isn't over." I said to Stefan seriously.

He just sighed knowingly in response, and we continued towards the tombs.

I stood in the dark, waiting, as Stefan climbed out of the tomb ten minutes later.

"Alright. Debris all cleared away. Torches are us. We can go down now."

Bonnie and Shelia were already there, as they had arrived right before us.

Stefan placed his shovel against a large boulder, next to a few cans of gasoline.

"What are they for?" she asked, and Stefan looked at Damon.

"It's everything I need to destroy the others."

Stefan handed Sheila and I flashlights.

"Are you sure that Damon will do what he promised?" Sheila asked, as Damon was gone, currently retrieving the Grimoire from where ever he had hidden it.

Stefan sighed, and his 'broody vampire look' appeared on his face. "No, I'm not, but if we keep our word, hopefully he'll keep his."

She narrowed her eyes suspiciously, nodding.

A low whistle was heard, and I turned to see Damon and the Grimoire.

"Brother." he nodded. "Blondie, witches." he greeted and he strode past, leaping down into the tomb, despite the obvious presence of stairs.

 _Show off._  I mumbled to myself.

Stefan caught my strange expression, and he walked over to me. "Everything okay?"

I nodded briskly. "Yep. Just ready to get this whole ordeal over with. We ready?"

"I guess so." Bonnie spoke up, and she looked to her Gram for confirmation.

~0~

**Third Person POV**

At the Duke party, Anna watched the Tyler kid and Jeremy talk, her eyes narrowed.

The other kid was a total jerk. Once he left, Anna appeared behind him, surprising the boy.

"Thank god." Jer breathed, smiling slightly.

Anna creased her forehead. "Weird hello, but okay." she cocked her head, studying his expression. "What's the matter?"

"Uh, nothing. Nothing, just..." he insisted, but Anna wasn't so easily convinced.

Crossing her arms she raised an eyebrow, and Jeremy said again.

"It's – nothing."

Anna smiled slightly, shaking her head. Wrapping her arm around his back, she murmured. "C'mon, let's walk."

Back at the tombs, Bonnie and Grams were preparing for the spell.

Caroline, Damon and Stefan were standing by the entrance, watching with thinly veiled interest.

"Air. Earth. Fire." Sheila said softly, and Bonnie replied with. "Water."

She held up a water bottle, and her Grams took it, sprinkling it over the floor.

~0~

Back at Duke's party, Matt and Tyler were talking.

"So, I see you rebounded with your ex." Tyler said, smirking. He took another swig of his beer, waiting for his friend to reply.

"Yeah. I guess." Matt chuckled. "When Stefan was here earlier, he was acting weird, almost like he didn't expect us to be together."

"That's weird." Tyler finished his drink. "Where's she at now?"

"I don't know." Matt scanned the dimly lit area, not finding his brunette friend.

"Well, lucky you. I'm not drunk enough." Tyler said, crumpling his red cup in his grip.

~0~

Anna and Jeremy, at this point were closer to the tombs, talking against a tree. After kissing, Anna's face made its appearance, worrying Jeremy.

"What was that?" he asked, and she turned away from him.

"It was nothing." She managed to stutter out, and Jeremy touched her shoulder.

"It didn't look like nothing."

Anna turned back around and suddenly, Jer crumpled to the ground.

Ben stood behind him, a bat in his hand.

~0~

"That's it?" a voice asked, and Elena trotted down the stairs. "Just water from the tap?"

Stefan turned around to stare at Elena. He was still brooding, obviously missing her more than he let on.

"As opposed to what?" Sheila raised an eyebrow at Elena, who stopped by Caroline.

"I just figured it would have to be like holy water or something." she shrugged, leaning against the rock wall.

Sheila smirked and continued preparing.

Damon removed a blood bag from his backpack.

"What's that?" asked Stefan, and Damon simply replied.

"It's for Chandra. Gotta have something to get her going." his blue eyes drifted over to me, smirking. "Unless Blondie or your girl – I'm sorry,  _not_ your girl – Elena – is offering a vein to tap."

I stared at him, unamused. Elena simply gasped quietly, her hand flying up to her neck.

Damon leaned over to his brother and whispered. "Admit it – you can't wait to get me out of your hair."

He laughed, agreeing.

Bonnie suddenly stared at us, her gaze previously being fixed on the ground. "We're ready."

While they were reciting the spell, I went over and grabbed Stefan's arm. Leading him up the stairs, he peered at me in confusion.

"What is it Caroline?" he asked quietly, not wanting our conversation to be heard by the others – although, by now, I was sure that Damon was listening in.

"What's Elena doing here?" I asked, not liking her presence. Something about her was making me uneasy, when normally it didn't. "She's giving me a bad feeling about something, Stef. I don't like it."

He glanced down the stairs at her figure, then back to me. He didn't say anything for a moment. "I don't know."

"It worked!" Bonnie exclaimed loudly, and I looked at Stefan who walked down a few stairs, looking at the others.

"We have some fires to build, brother." Damon said.

"I'll get the gasoline." I volunteered, and went to the big boulder.

Bending over, I thought I heard a twig snap. I stood up slowly, looking around.

Before I could call out Stefan's name, someone grabbed me from behind. A hand was clamped over my mouth, and they drug me into the bushes.

I squirmed in their grasp, and they shoved my back up against a tree. Two arms were on either side of my head, pinning me there. I looked up to find luminescent yellow eyes staring down at me.

My breath caught in my throat, causing me to make a strangled gasping sound, and the man clasped his hand over my mouth.

A breeze blew, and the clouds covering the moon moved away. Moonlight shone down onto Klaus' face, and my eyes widened.

_I should have known!_

I hadn't seen his hybrid face before, only the occasional fang or veins here and there. And I had to admit, it terrified me.

I heard Latin chanting in the distance, and Stefan calling my name.

He used his free hand to press his finger to his lips, keeping me against the tree by the hand on his mouth.

I nodded slowly, and he narrowed his eyes at me as he slowly removed his hand.

"STEFAN!" I shrieked, bringing my knee up into his groin.

Klaus groaned, stepping back, and I darted out into the clearing by the tomb.

"Caroline?" He called again, and when I stumbled into his sight, he ran towards me.

I felt someone grab me again, and Klaus' arm wound around my neck, holding me in a headlock.

"Easy there, Stefan." Klaus murmured. "Wouldn't want Caroline to lose her head."

Stefan held his hands up, keeping his eyes on me.

I pulled helplessly at Klaus' arm, trying to get away.

Anna, Ben, and...was that Jeremy?...stepped into the clearing, and Stefan growled.

"Thought I told you to leave."

Ben chuckled darkly. "I considered it. Then, I thought, screw you!"

Ben tossed Jeremy on the ground, and I winced.

"Hey, hero. I recommend you let us go down to the tomb." Anna sneered.

"I can't let you do that."

"Well, unless you want a headless girl and a dead Gilbert..." Ben's face vamped out. "Your choice. You can stop him or stop us." She shrugged and Klaus hissed in my ear.

"Start walking, love." he kicked my heel, forcing me to walk forward.

I dug my heels into the ground, trying to stop him. He sighed and picked me up, holding me up by the neck.

I made a wheezing sound, flailing my legs.

When Klaus, Anna and I were down in the tomb, I noticed the door was open. Klaus set me back down, moving his grip to my arm.

"Klaus." Damon said, painting an annoyed smirk on his face. "How nice of you to join us." his gaze moved onto Anna. "Oh, and you have Blondie. Lovely." he said sarcastically. He nodded at Anna, who studied him with distaste.

"Well, then I need my own piece of leverage." Damon announced, grabbing Elena's arm.

She squeaked in surprise, her eyes widening in fear.

Klaus jerked me to a walk and we went to the open door.

"Don't take them in. I'll bring the walls down." Sheila warned.

Damon laughed dryly, staring at Shelia. "You'd bring the walls down if he didn't. You think he trusts you? You think I trust you?"

"As much as I trust either of you boys." she countered, and Damon growled.

"Don't let him!" Elena whined in a pleading voice.

_Was he really gonna let Klaus take me in there?_

I sighed, realizing that we had no choice. "Enough. All of you." I exhaled. "Klaus needs leverage, Damon needs leverage. They need to know that you're not going to shut the door when he gets inside. I get it. I'll go."

Sheila's gazed at me, not saying anything.

Anna rushed inside, her body a blur.

"You say it like you have a choice." Klaus chuckled and he ushered me inside.

Klaus let go of me. I struggled to keep up.

An eery sort of whisper echoed, and I heard bones creaking.

"What  _is_  that?" I asked, and I saw Damon and him walk farther into the tomb.

"They can sense you, love." Klaus murmured, not glancing back at me.

They disappeared from sight, torch and all. "Damon!" I called. "Elena!"

_You've got to be kidding me._

~0~

**Third Person POV**

"Why did you let them take them in?" Bonnie demanded, angered.

Her Grams looked at her solemnly. "Because vampires can't come out, baby. None of them can."

Bonnie's eyes widened.

Above the tomb, Stefan and Ben are talking. Tension filled the air, and Stefan kept a close eye and ear on Jeremy.

"You know, I've heard about you. You don't feed. You're not strong enough to beat me." Ben smirked arrogantly, rushing at Stefan.

Stefan thrust his arm out, easily knocking Ben to the ground.

Stefan picked up the gasoline can and hose, and seconds later, Ben got to his feet.

"Is that all you got?"

"No. I got this." Stefan ignited the torch, setting the other vampire on fire. He screamed a soul piercing scream flailing around.

He finally fell to the ground, charred and dead.

Stefan breathed out, going downstairs with the gas can in hand.

~0~

**Caroline's POV**

"Klaus?" I called, waving my flashlight around. "Damon?"

I huffed. "Seriously?" I called again, my voice echoing.

_How had Elena managed to keep up with them?_

The whispering got louder, and I tripped on something, falling to the ground. I swiftly scrambled to my feet. Picking up my flashlight, I saw that the beam was pointing at one of the mummified vampires. I gasped.

Aiming it around the room, the last vampire I aimed it on eye's shot open. They were red and blood shot with hunger. I screamed loudly, stumbling backwards.

 _Keep your calm, Care!_  I chided myself. And I got back up, urgently looking for an exit.

My light landed on Anna, who was standing there, watching me.

My eyes grew wide and I ran.

~0~

**Third Person POV**

"Where's Caroline and Elena?" Stefan asked, looking from one witch to the other.

"Klaus and Damon took them inside." Bonnie murmured, and his green eyes looked panicked.

"What?" he ran towards the entrance, but Shelia grabbed his arm.

"Stefan!" she exclaimed. "If you go in there, you won't come out."

He froze. "What did you do?" he asked calmly, thinking of his brother.

"Opening that door didn't remove the seal." she said honestly.

"What is the seal for?" he replied, and she blew out a long breath.

"Some keeps vampires from entering, like the ones on houses. This one...it keeps vampires from coming out."

Stefan eyed the entrance warily. "They're human. They can leave." he realized. "Anna and Chandra can't. Katherine can't – if they get her. Damon and Klaus can't." he turned his head to the side, looking at Shelia. "You were never planning on breaking the spell, were you?"

She leveled her gaze on him. "I told you. I'm protecting my own. Caroline and Elena can leave, and that's all that matters."

~0~

**Caroline's POV**

"You have a taste for it I see." Anna stepped towards me, shining her light on me. "You make a big ruckus, shrieking and screaming. You even try to escape – but then you go right back to that house and live in a house full of what you run from."

"I have no choice, Zach is my guardian." I protested, but Anna did have a point. I could choose to move out. I'm sure Zach would be perfectly okay with that.

I walked backwards, and I felt a something touch my shoe.

"Caroline?" Elena stumbled into my light beam, looking confused.

"Anna." she gasped, and gaped down at Anna, which was kneeling next to a mummified lady.

"Mother! Mother!" she cried, and got up, turning on Elena and I. "Your boyfriend did this, you know."

"His father did." Elena corrected, and Anna faced us.

"And William Forbes. I made a choice a long time ago that it would be Forbes blood that brought her back to life. I had Jeremy all ready to go but..."

_Jeremy? But I'm not related to him?_

"Jeremy?" Elena voiced my confusion. "He's not Caroline's brother."

"But he's yours and Caroline cares about him." Anna said. "She cares more than you do, Elena."

During her speech, Elena and I had been backing away slowly. Anna vamp-sped in front of me, grabbing my wrist. I felt her bite down and I screamed out in pain.

I dropped my flashlight and it rolled away. I vaguely saw Elena running away, leaving me to die.

 _Some friend._ A voice whispered in my mind, and I was pushed to the floor.

~0~

**Third Person POV**

Elena scrambled into the torch lit ante-chamber, where Stefan, Bonnie and Shelia were standing.

"It's Caroline!" she cried, and Stefan started to run in.

"Stefan!" Bonnie exclaimed and Sheila blocked the tomb.

Stefan had made his choice.

Elena tried to go after him, but Bonnie grabbed her friend, pulling her away. "Don't Elena!"

"He made his choice!" Sheila told them, and Bonnie shook her head firmly.

"Made what choice?" Elena demanded, looking at the two of them.

"Vampires can't come back out, 'lena." Bonnie admitted. "We only opened the door."

Elena started to cry, slumping to the floor.

"No." Bonnie picked up the Grimoire, and stared desperately at her grandmother. "Just show me what to do. I'll do it."

"We are not strong enough. Even if we were able to bring the seal down, there's no guarantee that we could get it back up again." Sheila insisted, shaking her head.

"You said it yourself, many things can fuel a witches power. Help me or I'll do it alone." Bonnie opposed, and Elena stared at the older witch.

" _Please_ , Shelia."

~0~

**Caroline's POV**

"No! Don't!" I begged, struggling to get up. Anna pushed me back down and shoved my wrist up to the mouth of the vampire.

I felt fangs re-pierce my skin and I winced.

"I'm gonna get you out." Anna said to the vampire, caressing her decomposed face.

I heard someone appear, and a, "Let her go!"

They pushed Anna aside and I saw Stefan's boots.

"No!" Anna wailed.

He helped me up, pushing me towards the exit.

"Go, go!" he encouraged. "I'm right behind you."

I gripped my wrist in one hand, trying to stop the blood flow.

I heard vampires hiss and groan in hunger as I ran by them.

When I reached the entrance, Bonnie and Shelia were looking through the Grimoire.

"Caroline." Bonnie said, looking grim. "Stefan..."

"He's on his way." I said, turning around. Stefan stood in the doorway, looking almost as grim as Bonnie.

"C'mon Stefan. What are you doing?" I asked, staring at him.

"It's gonna be okay." Bonnie said gently. "We'll fix it."

"Fix what?" I demanded, whirling on them. "What's happening, Bonnie?"

"I can't leave the tomb, Caroline." Stefan said, reaching out for me.

I creased my brows, looking to the witches for explanation.

"The spell's still up, we can't get them out yet." Bonnie said, still speaking softly.

"Oh, no." my hand went to my mouth and I turned to Stefan.

He was staring at the ground. "You went in there, knowing you  _couldn't_  come back out?"

Stefan met my gaze. "You're my little sister Caroline. I heard you scream. I couldn't  _not_ do anything."

My mouth agape, I stared at him.

"We can't leave them in there." I said to Bonnie. "We promised him. Both of us."

Bonnie didn't respond, but I saw Stefan reach for me again. "I know, Care, I know."

Shelia stared at us, and said. "In all seriousness, I'm not sure we can break the seal, let alone hold it for long."

Stefan nodded once, heading back inside.

~0~

**Third Person POV**

Damon was searching the tomb, still looking for his beloved blonde.

"She's not here!" he yelled at nothing in particular, kicking a rather large stone on the ground.

Stefan came up to his brother. "Damon."

"She's not here!" he whirled on him, his eyes wild, his expression dangerous.

"What?" Stefan asked, squinting his eyes.  _Had he heard him right?_

Damon pulled out the blood bag and chucked it at the wall. "She's not here!"

The blood bag exploded on the wall, leaving a strange red splatter mark.

Damon looked at his baby brother with anguish.

While all this was going on, Klaus was in a deeper part of the tomb, searching for something. He finally found the crevice he had heard about. Slipping his hand inside, he hissed as he brushed through cobwebs and dried vervain. His hand wrapped around the small stone and he pulled it out, pocketing it.

"She's not here, Damon!" Klaus said once he had gotten what he  _truly_ came for.

Klaus actually had expected to find Chandra here, but he hadn't gotten his hopes up. He'd known her for quite some time, him and Katherine both. He knew they'd find someway to survive, to cheat entrapment.

Back outside, the torches flared, and Caroline and Elena paced back and forth.

"Is it even working?" Elena demanded, looking at the witches.

Anna suddenly exited the tomb, her arm around Pearl. "I just wanted my mother back." The young vampire said tearfully. "Jeremy's fine. He's outside. I won't touch him."

They left, and the torches began to dim.

"Bonnie!" Shelia cried over the chanting. "Keep going!" she turned to Elena and Caroline. "They better hurry!"

"Stefan!" Caroline called as loud as she could. "They can't hold it much longer!"

The torches extinguish themselves, and the blonde took this moment to run back into the tomb. Bonnie looked faint and Sheila didn't look much better.

Elena looked like she wanted to go back inside, but was too scared too. She lingered outside the tomb, still pacing,

"Damon, we need to get out of here." Stefan said urgently to his brother. Klaus didn't say anything, just watching.

 _Why would they need to leave?_  He wondered, and Damon thought out loud.

"It doesn't make sense. They  _locked_  her inside."

Damon paced back and forth, his eyes still holding a wild look to them.

"If we don't leave now, we're not getting out." Stefan said again, trying to get the point across. He could hear someone jogging through the tomb.

"How could she not be in here?" he asked again, throwing his hands up.

"It's not worth spending all of eternity down here. She's  _not_  worth it!" Stefan stepped in front of his brother, his hands on his shoulders.

"No!" Damon angrily pushed Stefan away.

Caroline rushed into the room, and Damon's eyes jumped to Caroline like a moth to a flame.

"Damon!  _Please_." she begged, having heard most of the echoing conversation.

Damon kept his eyes on Caroline for a moment before nodding painfully, walking towards the exit.

Out in the ante-chamber, Bonnie and Sheila were chanting the spell to keep the seal down.

The young witch stopped for a moment, gasping for air and keeling over.

"Oh my God. I can't!"

Elena ran to her side, helping her back to a standing position.

"Yes, you can." her Grams bit out, and they continued the chanting.

They continued chanting, and the torches continued to flicker as their energy drained.

Damon and Klaus exited the tomb first, followed by Caroline, who eyed Klaus warily. Stefan exited last, and Elena ran to his side, embracing him.

Stefan hugged her back, not even realizing that technically they were broken up.

The door slammed shut and the ladies stopped chanting, drooping against the wall like wilted flowers.

The torches extinguished themselves and we all went up the stairs into the forest. Stefan and Elena went to Jeremy's side, as he was beginning to wake up.

"He's okay." Stefan told Elena, who nodded, smiling thankfully.

Damon stood there looking completely miserable, and Klaus leaned against a tree looking equally downtrodden.

~0~

**Caroline's POV**

I stared at the dark haired man for a moment before going over to him. I knew how much he was looking forward to rescuing him. To being with her again.

Going over to him, I wrapped my arms around his body, placing my head on his shoulder. I gave him a tight squeeze, and whispered. "I'm so sorry, Damon. I know how much you were looking forward to this."

He didn't move or even breath, just stood there as rigid as a statue.

I pulled away and looked up at his face, which was equally as hard.

I smiled sadly, and went over to Stefan. "Do you guys need help?"

He shook his head. "Go ahead and head home, Care. I'll be home in a bit."

I nodded soberly and headed to my car, casting a long glance at Klaus before leaving.

He didn't seem as affected, or he was better at hiding it. It was almost as if he didn't expect her to be there.

Something told me to go and check on Bonnie and her Grams. That spell had to of taken a lot out of them, and it was the least I could do.

_I was the one to persuade them, after all._

~0~

**Third Person POV**

Sheila stumbled unsteadily to her bedroom, feeling faint. Her granddaughter gently grabbed her elbow, guiding her.

"Hey, let me help you." she murmured, and Shelia chuckled, looking down at her.

"Oh, I'm fine. You don't need to coddle me, baby." she lied, and Bonnie raised an arched eyebrow.

"It was a big spell, Grams. I could tell it took a lot out of you."

"I'll be fine." she insisted, and continued to walk towards her bed, where she laid down. Bonnie watched with concern.

~0~

Elena carried a glass of water and some Aspirin to Jeremy's room.

"How's your head?" she asked, handing it to him.

"It's okay. I just wish I remembered what happened." he took a sip of the water before taking the Advil. "I didn't drink that much, I swear."

"You don't remember anything?" Elena asked, raising an eyebrow.

"The whole thing's pretty cloudy." he said quickly, and perhaps it was a little  _too_  quick...

~0~

Pearl and Anna went back to the motel room, where Klaus was waiting, much to her surprise.

"You knew they weren't there." he sneered.

"You wouldn't have helped me!" Anna said truthfully, and Klaus slammed Pearl against the wall, holding her by the throat.

"No!" Anna protested, rushing towards him.

"Why do you get a happy ending, love?" he questioned, narrowing his eyes down at the girl.

"Please, Klaus!" She pleaded. "There's no way you would have helped me!"

Klaus let go of Pearl, and she crumpled to the floor. He grabbed onto her daughter next, restricting her movement.

"Why do you get it, and I don't?"

"The guard." Pearl choked out from the floor, and he turned to stare at her. "The one at the church. The one who locked us in. Katherine promised to turn him. He was obsessed with Chandra. They had him under their spell, like everybody else. He let them go."

Klaus narrowed his eyes, letting go of Anna. Anna crawled over to her mother, hugging her.

"Last I saw her was New Orleans, 1983. She knew where you were, Klaus. Didn't care." Anna said, and her eyes widened when Klaus didn't look surprised.

"You knew, didn't you?" Anna accused. "You knew she wasn't in there. But you wanted in anyways...what did you get?"

Damon stood outside the hotel room, listening.

_What was she talking about, he knew?_

~0~

**Caroline's POV**

I arrived at Bonnie's, shooting Stefan a text that that was where I was, and would be home soon.

I heard Bonnie screaming her Gram's name, and I rushed inside, not bothering to knock.

"What?" I asked, staring at Bonnie with wide eyes.

"She's not breathing! Help!" Bonnie shook her Gram's body, tears already streaming down her face.

"I'll call 911!" I ran into the living room and dialed.

While the ambulance was on the way, Bonnie sat in the living room, urgently flipping through the Grimoire. "I can fix it. I can do it. I have to." she mumbled to herself.

"Bonnie..." I said softly, starting to cry. I hated to see my friend like this.

"Bonnie!" I said again when she continued to mumble.

Bonnie was sobbing uncontrollably now and I pulled Bonnie to me, stroking her hair. "Hey, hey, hey." I hugged her tightly, doing my best to comfort her.

~0~

**Third Person POV**

Down in the tomb, the blood bag that had splattered on the wall was dripping down, onto a desiccated vampire. After a moment, he got to his feet, bones cracking loudly.

He exited the tomb and stared up at the night sky, sighing.

_He was finally free._

~0~

**Caroline's POV**

Late that night, I sat on my bed, my journal open in my lap. I had just summarized the day's events, all with Ed Sheeran blaring in my ears.

It had been too much for me, and the pages had a few tear stains on them. I sniffled, wiping my eyes with my pajama sleeve.

_Lie down with me_

_And hold me in your arms_

_And your heart's against my chest, your lips pressed to my neck._

_I'm falling for your eyes, but they don't know me yet._

_And with a feeling I'll forget, I'm in love now._

He sang into my ears, and I sighed, closing my eyes for a brief moment.

When I opened them, Damon was standing at my window, staring out.

I jumped, my heart skipping a beat. I ripped my buds out of my ears.

"Damon." I said, chuckling nervously. He was hurt, and a hurt Damon was a reckless Damon. "You scared me."

He didn't say anything for a moment, before turned around.

"Are you drunk?" I asked, setting my journal and pen down, getting up.

He smirked weakly, holding his thumb and forefinger close together. "Just a little."

I sighed, walking over to him. "Go to bed, Damon."

His face fell, and he drooped into me. I threw my arms up, struggling to keep him from falling.

"You look like her." he whined. "Why do you have to look like her?" his face was buried into my shoulder. "So hard." he mumbled, and I set him down on my window seat.

"There you go." I murmured, and took a step back.

"Stay." he grumbled, his hand wrapping around my wrist.

My heart caught in my throat, and I stared down at our connection.

I took a deep breath, ignoring the nervous feeling in the pit of my gut.

"No, Damon." I slipped my hand out of his grasp. "I have school tomorrow."

I went back over to my bed, putting my journal and pen in my drawer.

"I need sleep, and so do you. It'll be better in the morning." he looked at me with sad eyes.

" _Nothing_  matters anymore, Blondie. Everything's changed. I've spent  _so long...so long..._ trying to find her...and..." his blue eyes teared up.

I frowned, going over to him, and hugging him with one arm.

I wanted to hug him and comfort him like a friend, but Stefan had warned me about him. I had to be careful.

He groaned again, pulling a flask from his jacket and taking another sip. I pried it out of his hand.

"No more of that for you." I put it on my desk and helped him to his feet.

"C'mon now." I took him to his room and set him on his bed.

 _I've never been in here before..._ I realized, looking around.

"Goodnight, Damon." I said, and exited his room.

I reached his door, and Damon was in front of me, his eyes slightly foggier than before.

"Chandra..." his voice was overcome with grief, and he dipped his head down.

His lips got closer to mine and I let out a little gasp, backing up. "No.  _Caroline_."

I walked around him, quickly shutting his door. I leaned against the door, slumping to the ground.

I took a slow breath, trying to exhale out all my emotions.

_That was too close..._


	39. A Few Good Men : Part One

_Previously on Everything Changes..._

_I reached his door, and Damon was in front of me, his eyes slightly foggier than before._

" _Chandra..." his voice was overcome with grief, and he dipped his head down._

_His lips got closer to mine and I let out a little gasp, backing up. "No. Caroline."_

_I walked around him, shutting his door. I leaned against the door, slumping to the ground._

_I took a slow breath, trying to exhale out all my emotions._

* * *

**Caroline's POV**

When my eyes fluttered open the next morning, there was a bit of light filtering into my room like there normally was. But for some odd reason, my alarm hadn't even gone off yet.

Loud, blaring music from downstairs was what woke me.

Glancing at my phone, the lock screen read 7:00 a.m.

I groaned, knowing I couldn't sleep with all that noise. I hadn't gone to bed until midnight, and I was regretting it already.

Stumbling into my bathroom, I washed my face and brushed my hair. It was beginning to look dirty, and I sighed. I would definitely need a shower before I headed off to school at nine.

I adjusted my pajama pants, retying them so they wouldn't slip down my hips, and went into the hallway.

"Caroline," Stefan greeted, exiting his room as well. He was already dressed and wide awake. It appeared he had already been somewhere, but I didn't bother to ask where.

The loud music still pulsed on downstairs, and we met gazes.

"What's going on?" I asked, running a hand through my dirty hair. I would definitely need to wash it soon.

 _Mental note! Caroline, wash your nasty hair!_  I said to myself, being sure to actually make a mental note, not just think about doing it.

We went down the stairs, and a strange smell filled my nostrils.

'"What is that?" I mused aloud, scrunching my nose.

He got his 'broody vampire look' and sighed. "Smells like...blood...and...sex?"

My draw dropped, but I honestly wasn't  _too_  surprised. It'd be just like Damon to go and retaliate by making out and killing – or just drinking – from a bunch of girls.

 _Damon_.

"How do I taste?" I heard a girl ask loudly over the music.

Damon mumbled something drunkenly in response, as Stefan flicked on the lights.

"No!" he groaned and I saw him withdraw his fangs from a girl's neck.

"Seriously, Damon?" I grumbled, knowing he could probably hear me. I killed the music, and my eyebrows probably disappeared into my hairline. There had to be at least four or five of the sorority girls, and they were all in sexy lingerie or short dresses. Bite marks covered their bodies, and they were seemingly oblivious to their injuries.

"Buzzkill Bob and Blondie...Greetings," the drunk Salvatore slurred, straightening up on the couch.

"Can we talk?" Stefan asked and Damon shrugged in response.

"Yeah."

The younger brother's gaze flickered over to the girls. "Without the Tri-Delts."

Damon's arms were draped over two girls shoulders. "Anything you can say, you can say in front of them. They're  _really good_  at keeping secrets." he smirked, wiggling his eyebrows. Stefan clenched his jaw.

I hesitantly touched Stefan's shoulder.

"I'll let you two talk."

Stefan dipped his head thankfully and I headed into the kitchen.

"Zach." I said in surprise when I saw my godfather leaning against the counter, sipping coffee. "Did you see...?"

"Damon?" he laughed dryly, swirling the remnants of his coffee around in his cup. "Yeah. I was going to say something...but I figured it'd be better if I didn't. Stefan filled me in on what happened last night."

I retrieved a box of cereal from the cupboard, and poured it into a porcelain bowl. I put the box back in it's place and got the milk out next.

"Yeah..." I thought back to last night and Damon and I's almost kiss. "I think it's hard on him - Damon - since I look so much like the girl he tried to save."

Zach nodded and I took a bite of my food.

"So, remember when I asked you to search for my dad?" I took another bite, considering my words. "Right after I moved in, and you said you would dig some?"

'Uncle' Zach bobbed his head. "Yeah, why?"

"Well, did you? Do some digging, that is."

"What brought this up?" he asked, placing his mug into the sink.

"Just Bonnie's Gram's funeral reminded me of Mom. And she never talked about him much. And since you said you would..." I explained.

He kept his back turned, still rinsing his mug. "I didn't find much, Caroline."

"Zach," I said, growing serious. "What is it?"

He turned around slowly and placed his now dry mug into the cupboard.

His body language said that what he found wasn't good.

~0~

**Third Person POV**

"So did you?" Elena demanded. "Dig?"

Jenna sighed, looking up at her niece, who was standing in her bedroom doorway.

"C'mon inside, 'Lena."

Jenna opened her laptop, and sat on her bed.

"Your dad kept most records of his medical practices. Anything you could think of – logs, records, appointment books." The redhead leaned over and pulled a book out of a box settled in front of her nightstand. "I was reading last week, and I found an entry from the night you were born." Jenna rifled through the pages, finally finding what she was looking for. "Aha. Isobel Peterson."

"Who's that?"

"It's the name of the pregnant teenage runaway who was there that night," Jenna explained, and Elena nodded slowly.

"That's her real name?"

"Eh, probably not. First name, maybe, but last name...probably a classmate or best friend's..." Jenna went on to pull up Bing. "I binged it. I searched for any and all Petersons in this area born in the same year as Isobel. I found a few men, and a woman – Trudie, who lived in Grove Hill, Virginia."

"That's not far from here." Elena murmured, pushing her hair behind her ear.

"Well, come see what I found." Jenna typed something else, and suddenly Elena was looking at a picture of two girls. A blonde and a brunette in cheer uniforms.

"Isobel," Elena smirked and read the caption to herself. "She was a cheerleader like me."

Her aunt nodded, grinning proudly. "Trudie still lives there." She pulled a pink post-it note out from the last page of the journal. "This is her address."

"What about Isobel?" Elena asked, raising an eyebrow.

_She had asked for Isobel, not Trudie..._

"I couldn't find anything about her."

Elena huffed out a long breath, looking discouraged. Jenna paused for a brief second before divulging new information. "Listen. There's something else. Mr. Saltzman, Ric, his wife was from around here, and her name was also Isobel."

"'Was' as in..." Elena trailed off, staring down at her aunt.

Jenna took a deep breath and looked up to meet her eyes. "She died."

~0~

"Aw..." Damon cooed. "You're worried about me. That's nice. Don't be. There's no need. I'm fine. Why wouldn't I be?" he said in a normal voice, but Stefan knew he was being sarcastic. "I spent the last 145 years with one goal: get in that tomb. I succeeded. Granted, Chandra wasn't in there to be rescued, but why dwell?" he shrugged, taking a long swig out of his bottle. "You know, it's  _so_  liberating  _not_  having a master plan, because I can do  _whatever_  and  _whoever_ the hell I want." he smirked.

"That's kind of what I'm afraid of," Stefan said, moving his concerned gaze back to the girls for a split second.

"Relax," Damon said. "I haven't killed anyone in—" he puffed out an exaggerated breath. "—too long."

His brother raised an eyebrow gesturing to the sorority girls for a second time. "Those girls...?"

"Will end up in their dorm with headaches, think they blacked out. Business as usual." he shrugged. "Predictable you  _didn't_  pull me over here for a pep talk. So drink up." Damon shoved the bottle into his brother's hands. "Spill it, brother."

Stefan took the bottle with a clench of his jaw and set it on the side table.

"There was a woman you may have known a few years back named Isobel in North Carolina at Duke." Stefan said, getting straight to the point.

"You wanna discuss the women in my past right now? Seriously?" Damon raised his eyebrows, looking at his brother like he was insane.

"You killed her," Stefan said flatly, as if that made it okay to talk about his past women.

"What's your point?"

"I just—just wanna know if you remember anything about her." he said halfheartedly. Elena had told Stefan early this morning about Isobel – Alaric's possible dead wife, and Elena's mother.

"Oh, it's like a needle in a haystack, Stefan." he furrowed his brows and shook his head.

"Well, think hard. It's important," Stefan said in response, a serious look on his face.

Damon gripped his brother's shoulders tightly, the leather jacket bunching up in his grip.

Leaning forward, he placed his lips next to his brother's ear. " _Nothing is important, not anymore._ " he hissed before pulling away.

Clapping his brother on the shoulder, Damon leaned over and snatched the bottle off the table.

"I'll take that." Damon murmured, and backed away. "Great chat. I have to go and exploit some women in the name of grief, which I'm  _sure_  you understand. "TTFN", said the Tri-Delt." he chuckled and turned around, walking down the stairs, back to the girls.

~0~

**Alaric's POV**

Jenna handed me a corner of the banner and I climbed up the ladder, hanging the corner on the nail sticking out the side of the building.

"I don't know... It's just weird, y'know, being raffled off like a Disney Cruise." I said, responding to her question about how I felt being one of Mystic Fall's 'eligible bachelors'.

"In this town, fundraising is like an indentured servitude. You don't really have a choice." Jenna chuckled. "Besides, you're a bachelor and you're eligible, so there you go."

While she was talking, she was up on her own ladder, struggling to reach her own nail.

"Here," I said, getting down off the ladder. "Let me get this for you."

Jenna smiled thankfully, climbing off her own ladder. I quickly went up her ladder and slipped the ring through the nail.

"Thanks." she said, peering up at me.

I leaned in and brushed a gentle kiss to her lips.

She looked windswept as I pulled away. She looked away for a moment, sighing.

"Ugh, I can't believe I'm going to do this," she grumbled, mostly to herself.

"What?" I asked, looking down at her.

"I'm totally going to ruin this moment, but I— I have to tell you. Elena recently found out she was adopted, and she's been looking for her birth mother...whose name was Isobel." she explained, and my eyes widened.

_No, it couldn't be._

"Isobel?" I repeated dumbly. "Like my wife?"

She nodded in response, fishing her phone out of her pocket.

"Isobel never had a baby..." I said, my mind trying to processes the whole thing.

"Are you sure? Not before you were together?"

I shook my head, thinking back to the days I spent with her. "Nope. No way."

I glanced down at the phone in her hand, and she handed it to me.

A younger version of the dark haired Isobel was on the screen, and my breath caught in my throat.

"This is Elena's birth mother," she murmured, and I couldn't processes.

I assume an alarmed look was on my face when I said. "Ah, she, uh—she never told me. I, uh—I'm gonna go. Yeah, I'm gonna—gonna go."

I walked off awkwardly, dragging my hands through my hair.

~0~

**Caroline's POV**

I stepped out of my bathroom, ready to go to school, when my phone rang.

_Elena._

"Hello?"

"Hey, Caroline," she greeted. "Uh, I was wondering. Since Bonnie's at her aunt's...could you maybe go somewhere with me?"

"Sure." I responded, still mulling over what Zach had told me.

"Okay cool, thanks so much!" she hung up abruptly and I peered down at my phone.

_Okay then._

Zach had said that as far as he could tell, it was like my dad didn't even exist. The only place he could find his name was on my birth certificate.

My mom's marriage certificate was gone, and he didn't have a drivers license, a credit card, or even bills of any sort. It was strange.

But it would be convenient to him if he was hiding from someone or something.

My main question was, where had he been all my life, and why hadn't I heard from him? Also, if he was hiding from someone, who was he hiding from?

I heard a car honk outside, and I peered out my window.

 _Elena was here already?_  T _hat was fast._

~0~

I sat in Elena's car, processing everything she had just told me about her conversation with Jenna and Stefan.

_So Alaric's wife was her mother? What a coincidence. That would make him her stepfather almost._

We drove with the radio faintly playing in the background, but other than that, it was silent.

We pulled up to the house, and Elena and I got out. She fished a small post-it note out of her pocket, and checked the address with the one on the note. They matched.

"Want me to come with you?" I asked, staring up at the big house.

Elena gnawed on her lip for a moment before nodding. "Yeah."

We went up the step to her porch, and Elena's fist hovered over the door. She hesitated, and I squeezed her shoulder, offering her a weak smile.

Elena glanced back at me, smiling weakly in return. She knocked twice, and stepped back, waiting.

A few moments past, and Elena shook her head, starting to walk away.

The door suddenly opened with a creak, and a blonde lady peeked outside.

Elena turned around, staring at the lady. "Trudie? Tru-trudie Peterson?"

"Yes?" she asked, still staring warily at us.

"Uh, my name is Elena Gilbert. I wanted to talk to you about Isobel Flemming." Elena explained nervously, her fingers playing with her necklace around her neck.

Trudie's gaze drifted over to me, and I chuckled.

"Hi. I'm Caroline Forbes, we're friends." I gestured to Elena and I, and she opened the door fully.

"Nice to meet you." she said to me. Turning her attention to Elena, she smiled a little. "I haven't heard  _that_  name in  _years_. How do you know her?"

Elena chewed on her lip, seemingly speechless.

I spoke up for my friend, not wanting Elena to miss her chance to learn more about Isobel.

_Sure, Elena could be a bitch at times, but she was still my friend._

"Elena thinks that, um, well...do you know if she had a baby that she gave up for adoption?"

"My god. You're her daughter!" Trudie's eyes widened, and she laughed gleefully. "I was just gonna make some tea. Would you all like some?"

"Sure." Elena nodded gratefully and I smiled.

"Uh, the kitchen's this way." Trudie walked backwards and Elena went inside.

"Aren't you coming, Caroline?" Elena asked from inside the house. I took a deep breath, and sighed.

_I really didn't want to intrude, but since Elena wanted me there..._

Stepping over the threshold, I heard the woman release a heavy breath, and she shut the door with a nervous glance out towards the street.

We went into the small kitchen and Elena and I took a seat at the kitchen table. We removed our jackets before sitting down, draping them over the back of the seat.

"I-I wasn't going to come." Elena suddenly said when Trudie had sat down and handed us empty tea cups. "I didn't think I was, but I was driving, and I hit this stoplight, and it made me think about when I was learning how to drive and then my mom would always warn me about this blind turn on the left-hand side, and then I was thinking about my mom, and—I had your address." Elena rambled, and she chuckled awkwardly. "I'm sorry for barging in."

She smiled coolly. "It's no problem." her eyes darted from me to Elena. "Um, just a surprise, though."

"I haven't thought about Isobel in years." Trudie admitted, glancing down at her own empty tea cup.

"When was the last time you saw her?" Elena asked, not noticing Trudie'sstrange behavior. The lady seemed jumpy and on edge.

Something was definitely off, but I couldn't put my finger on it just quite yet.

"About 17 years ago, when she left to have you..." Trudie got a far away look in her eye, reminiscing. "We kept in touch for a while, but ended up drifting apart."

I nodded sadly, knowing what it was like being close with someone, and then just drifting apart. Years ago, Elena and I were closer then Bonnie and her, but Elena started to date Matt, and in turn, she got more popular. The popularity made her arrogant and selfish. She fought for the head cheerleader position, and started a lot of drama. We drifted apart, and when my mom died, it only got worse. Elena and her family came to my funeral, but it was awkward, hugging my once best friend.

I vaguely heard the two ladies converse in the background as my mind drifted, but I didn't really realize what was going on until I heard the name of Alaric's old school.

"Duke, I think. Smart girl, smart school." Trudie responded to whatever Elena's question was.

Suddenly, the tea kettle whistled, and she got up, heading over into the kitchen.

"She's acting weird." I hissed to Elena, who stared at me with a shocked expression.

"What are you talking about?"

~0~

**Third Person POV**

Stefan milled around the town square, waiting for Alaric to show.

He heard footsteps, and he turned around to see him walking towards him.

He dipped his head in greeting, and Alaric smiled slightly. "Thanks for meeting me. Something's come up."

"Jenna told you," Stefan guessed, and Ric nodded.

"Yeah," he scratched the back of his head awkwardly, still not fully processing the whole situation.

They moved over to one of the trees, standing in its shadow. "So it's true. Your wife Isobel was Elena's birth mother."

"What does Elena know?" Ric asked, suddenly curious.

Sighing, Stefan crossed his arms over his chest. "About your wife?"

"About everything," Ric clarified, and then gestured to Stefan. "About you, your brother."

"She knows what I am, and she knows that you know about the vampires." Ric's brows furrowed, as if he honestly didn't expect Elena to know.

"Does she know about Damon and Isobel?" Alaric asked.

He knew what he had seen all those years ago. He wouldn't forget the face of the man who killed his wife. Ric was 110% sure it was Damon.

Stefan, on the other hand, wasn't as confident.

"No. I couldn't tell her, not until I was sure."

Ric nodded once, then changed the subject. "You said you'd help me."

"I asked Damon without saying too much. He doesn't remember." Stefan explained, and Ric worked his jaw back and forth, trying to keep his whirling emotions reigned in.

"Ask him again," he pleaded, and Stefan shook his head.

"Damon is  _not_  stable right now."

"You know, he  _murdered_  my wife, or at the  _very least_ made a meal out of her. When  _has_  he been stable?" Ric pushed, glaring at the vampire, who stared blankly right back.

"I'm telling you  _not_  to push this."

"Give me a reason not to," Ric countered, still staring him down.

"Your survival," Stefan murmured, his gaze serious and intense. "How's that for a reason? I'll handle it, but for now, I  _need_  you to let it go."

"Is that what you'll tell Elena? Let it go?"

Stefan moved closer to Ric and in the blink of an eye, they were only a few inches apart.

"Leave Elena out of this," he said through clenched teeth, his voice low and threatening.

"I need to know what happened. I think you would too," he said again, like Stefan didn't understand.

Stefan huffed a small sigh, and stepped back.

"I need something more than just your wife's name. A picture, something I could show Damon." he murmured. Ric obviously wasn't going to back down, and Stefan knew if he didn't help, Ric would end up dead in a ravine somewhere.

Ric rifled through his wallet for a moment, pulling out a small picture of Isobel.

"Here," he handed it to the vampire, who took it, met his gaze and walked away.

~0~

Matt made breakfast for his mother, glancing over his shoulder at her a few times.

He still honestly couldn't believe she was there.

"So, uh, it's been a few months. Where've you been?"

His mom had always been sort of a dead-beat, running off with whatever guy she was with for the month. Matt had met a few when he was younger, but eventually his mom stopped bothering to bring them home. He never really cared for any of them, anyways.

"Ah, you know, here and there. Never one place too long. You know Bill," She said airily, trying to wave the topic away.

"No, actually, I don't. Because you never brought him around," Matt mumbled and Kelly got up, ignoring her son's comment. Leaning against the counter, she asked.

"So, 'Lena's the flavor of the month again, huh? Thought you two called it quits a few months ago?"

Matt scoffed, "She's not a flavor, Mom. I like her."

"Remember, she broke your heart once, she might do it again." Matt didn't comment, and she continued. "So, she's 'the one'?" Kelly continued, raising an eyebrow skeptically.

Matt shrugged.

She grabbed a clean glass from the sink. She went over and opened the fridge and grabbed a bottle of vodka, before sitting down at the table.

"Well at least it's not "Lezzie" Forbes' daughter. Eck. She's a bit much."

Matt turned around to stare at her in disbelief. "Liz  _died_ , Mom, knock it off. And, Caroline isn't that bad. She matured after the accident."

"Ice, please?" she asked sweetly, batting her eyelashes like the previous comment was non existent.

Matt sighed, and left the stove, where he was cooking pancakes, and took her glass.

"So, uh, you heard from Vic?" he asked as he got some ice out of the ice machine in the freezer.

"No, but don't worry. She'll come home eventually when she needs something. I played that game." Kelly took the glass from her son, and poured some vodka into it. She took her previous seat the table.

"Are you playing it now?" Matt asked.

"No."

"Then what are you doin' home?" he asked, and Kelly fidgeted in her seat.

_This felt like an interrogation..._

"Are you trying to say I need a reason to come back? Sit down. Eat with me." Kelly answered instead, smiling up at him.

Matt sighed, taking the last pancake off the griddle and putting it onto his plate. He shut off the appliance, and grabbing the syrup, sat down across from her.

"Tell me everything I've missed, hun," she beamed at him, ripping a piece of pancake off and popping it into her mouth.

~0~

**Caroline's POV**

Trudie brought out a yearbook after pouring us some tea. She flipped through the old book, and smiled down at a picture. Turning it around so we could see, she tapped a picture of the two of them.

"Ahh. They came to the games for us," she smiled fondly at the cheer uniforms in the picture. "Our football team hadn't won in years. We were the stars. Well, Izzie was. But I was a damn good backup."

Elena smiled and looked over at me. I grinned strangely back, feeling really out of place. It was weird for me, awkward almost, to be reminscing with someone I didn't know, about someone else who I also didn't know.

"Heh. This is great. Thank you," Elena said to Trudie.

"You're welcome." she looked at our full teacups. "You haven't touched your tea," Trudie eyed me expectantly and I tried to shake off the uncomfortable feeling I was getting.

"I totally forgot about it." I admitted, taking a sip.

It was still hot, and I coughed as it went down the wrong pipe.

Trudie stiffened and moved to grab something.

"Ouch, that was hot." I said once I stopped coughing. I picked it up and blew gently on it.

Elena blew on her own before taking a tentative sip. "Hmm," she hummed, while giving her cup a delicate sniff.

"What is this?" Elena's wide brown eyes met mine, and I took a small sip of mine, smelling it at the same time.

_Vervain._

_I would know it anywhere. I'd lost count of how many times I'd walked passed the vervain garden Zach kept in the cellar of the Boarding House._

"Oh, it's just some herbal mixture." Trudie said flippantly, and I noticed she seemed to calm down once I took another sip and didn't cough.

_Did she think we were vampires?_

"Vervain?" Elena said hesitantly and Trudie didn't respond.

"You know." I stated, piecing it together.. "You know don't you."

"Know what?" Trudie said nervously and my eyes widened.

_Yep, definitley acting strange._

_But the question was, would she tell us what she really knew – if she knew anything at all?_

"You didn't invite us in. You served vervain tea."

Trudie scrambled to her feet, her body language tense and terrified.

"You should probably leave." she said firmly, staring at the both of us.

We set our cups down, getting to our feet.

"Wait. What are you not telling us?" Elena asked, stepping towards Trudie.

"Trudie." I looked at her calmly. "You can tell us."

Trudie stumbled back, and repeated, "Please leave. Now!"

Elena and I grabbed our jackets and left her home, shooting each other wary gazes.

_Something was wrong, and I didn't like her reaction to my_ _'you know' statement one bit._

We got into Elena's car and we headed back home.

Halfway home, I spoke up,

"You can't play with Stefan's emotions like that." I turned and stared pointedly at her.

"What does that have to do with anything?" she asked, looking surpised.

For a second I regretted confronting her, but that feeling went away after Elena continued,

"What's that even supposed to mean?" she cast me a sidelong glance.

"You can't just flirt with him and date Matt. Both of them have their own feelings, and it's selfish of you to play them both, Elena." I replied smoothly, trying to not get too worked up. "I won't let you."

"Who are you to say who I date and who I don't? It's my life, Caroline, and if I want them both, then so be it!" I saw Elena's grip tighten and loosen on the steering wheel, and I knew I'd hit a nerve.

"Stefan and Matt are my friends too, and they deserve better."

Elena snorted, glancing at me again. "Who? Someone better like you? Yeah right."

I bristled at this comment, and changed the subject. "So, that whole Trudie thing, was weird, huh?"

Elena didn't respond, simply reached over and turned up the music.

 _Good job, Caroline, make the hour home drive even more awkward. Fan-freaking-tastic._ I chided myself.

~0~

**Third Person POV**

Trudie's doorbell rang, and she answered her door, expecting it to be the two girls again.

"May I help you?" she asked.

"Thank you for the text," the man said. He had blonde hair and piercing blue eyes.

Surprise flickered over the man's face. When she was told to text the number when the daughter arrived, she didn't expect this. But to be honest, she didn't really know what to expect.

"You're welcome. I didn't tell them anything. I— I kept my promise."

"Good," He said, and clenched his fist at his side.

He definitely gave off a bad vibe, and it was beginning to make her feel...nervous.

"The blonde girl, though, she—she knew something."

"The blonde girl?" he questioned, his brows narrowed. "What blonde girl? Isobel's daughter is a brunette."

"She said her name was...Caroline? I don't remember her last name," she lied. "I think it was Frost or something. But I didn't tell them anything, I swear." Trudie didn't know why she lied, honestly. She guessed it was because she hadn't asked to have anythnig to do with this. She didn't want to help them too much. "Am I done?"

"Good," he repeated, studying the woman. He knew what he had to do. "And yes, you're done."

She visibly relaxed when he said this, and started to shut the door. The man, having his orders, grabbed a hold of the door, and started pushing it back open. She struggled against his strength, trying to shut it.

"No, I won't invite you in! You can't come in!" she shrieked, pressing harder.

"I'm not a vampire, so,  _yes_ , I can."

She gave one last shove before running towards the stairs, trying to get away.

He flung the door forcefully open, and it caught her heel, causing her to lose her balance.

"I don't understand. I did what you told me. I did my part!" she screamed, trying to scramble backwards up the stairs.

He stood above her, his eyes dark. "And now I have to do mine."

She yelped in fear, scrambling up the stairs. He let her reach the top before lumbering up after her. Grabbing her by the hair, he shoved her down the stairs. Her body tumbled and flipped down, landing at the bottom with a sickening crack. Red blood caked her scalp, turning her blonde hair a sticky brick color. It pooled around her head like a halo, and he descended the stairs. His job was done.


	40. A Few Good Men : Part Two

**Warning; the F word is used twice, so if you're uncomfortable with language, skip that part - I will mark before and after it happens.**

_**Enjoy! xx** _

* * *

_Previously on Everything Changes..._

_"I don't understand. I did what you told me. I did my part!" she screamed, trying to scramble backwards up the stairs._

_He stood above her, his eyes dark. "And now I have to do mine."_

_She yelped in fear, scrambling up the stairs. He let her reach the top before lumbering up after her. Grabbing her by the hair, he shoved her down the stairs. Her body tumbled and flipped down, landing at the bottom with a sickening crack. Red blood caked her scalp, turning her blonde hair a sticky brick color. It pooled around her head like a halo, and he descended the stairs. His job was done._

* * *

**Third Person POV**

Alaric took his normal place at Mystic Grill's bar, sipping a glass of bourbon.

The dark raven haired man Alaric was hoping to avoid, walked up beside him, taking a seat.

Ric worked his jaw in annoyance. He wasn't sure if he could keep his cool around Damon, especially with bourbon swimming through his veins.

"Bourbon." Damon said, raising two fingers at the bartender, who nodded in acknowledgment.

"Behold the teacher." Damon said to Ric, nodding courteously at the bartender, who had just pushed him the glass. "Don't you have some papers to grade or something?"

Ric chuckled, still reigning in his anger. "It's, uh, more fun with a buzz."

"Well, most things in life are. Sober is depressing." Damon replied, his drink disappearing in one gulp. Ric watched him with a raised eyebrow. Stefan hadn't been kidding when he had said he was unstable right now.

"You don't strike me as somebody who gets depressed." he simply stated, and Damon mirrored Ric's previous expression.

"You say that like you know me."

Ric let out a breathy laugh. "Nope. Just a hunch."

They exchanged a long, tense look. Damon probably didn't even realize who he was, or even care, for that matter. Feeling his frustration resurface tenfold, he got up, placing his now empty glass on the table with a clunk.

"You have a good afternoon."

Damon tipped his glass as a good-bye. "Not likely."

Not too much longer after he left, Rudy, also known as Sheriff Bennett, appeared at his side, peering down at the man curiously.

"Damon Salvatore. Are you day drinking?"

Damon's eyebrows jutted into his hairline. "It's all the rage nowadays."

Sheriff Bennett chuckled lowly, shaking his head.

 _Crazy man_.

"I need a favor."

"You ever been in love?" Damon suddenly asked, ignoring his request.

"Excuse me?" Bennett raised an eyebrow, and motioned at the bartender to cut off Damon's supply.

He was seemly oblivious to the Sheriff's motion. "Have you ever been so bent on someone, just to have your heart ripped out by them?"

"You forget my wife left me to raise my daughter on my own." he said dully, and Damon cocked his head to the side, jutting out his lip in a  _'touche'_ sort of expression.

"Right." he waved at the bartender. "He'll have what I'm having."

Rudy nodded once, signaling that he actually did want one. Sitting down next to Damon, he turned to his friend.

"So, as I was saying Damon, there's a fundraiser here tonight that the Founder's Council is throwing. The town's most eligible bachelors get raffled off for dates, and, well, we're short a bachelor."

"Aren't you an 'eligible bachelor', Rudy?" Damon asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Eh, the council thought it best I  _didn't_  participate, which is completely fine with me. Wouldn't want to be bought off anyways."

Damon bobbed his head in agreement. "Is this what you do when there's no, um..." he lowered his voice, not so drunk as to blab out the word, vampires so everyone could hear. He was buzzed, not reckless. "Vampires? Organize bachelor raffles?"

Rudy laughed heartily.

"If only."

He thanked the bartender for his drink, and took a sip, making a face after he swallowed.

"It makes me almost  _miss_ the vampires. Look, you've been very helpful to this town, Damon. Most people don't know it, but I've heard some talking, and you're a catch. And...you're single, so eligible bachelor material."

Damon didn't look persuaded, and Rudy smiled encouragingly. "Oh, come on, Carol Lockwood won't let me live it down if I come back empty-handed."

The vampire thought for a moment and shrugged.

_What the heck, why not?_

"You know, a room full of women clamoring to win a date with me. Sounds tasty."

Rudy laughed in relief. "Great!" He drummed the table twice and took the last sip of his drink. "Thanks."

He began to get up, and Damon reached out and touched his shoulder. "One thing. Can you get information on someone for me? Alaric Saltzman, the history teacher. There's just something a little off about him, and I just – I just wanna make sure that the high school did their homework on this guy."

Rudy nodded, getting up. "Sure thing."

"Thanks." Damon smirked and took another swig of his drink before Rudy walked away.

~0~

**Caroline's POV**

By the time I arrived home, school was almost out, and Stefan was nowhere to be seen. I assumed Zach was at work as well, seeing as he couldn't be found either.

I went upstairs and was about to go into my room, when I heard a strange noise. Furrowing my brows, I paused outside my door, peering down the hallway towards Stefan and Damon's rooms.

"Hello?" I called, beginning to walk down the hall towards the noise. "Someone there?"

I paused outside of Damon's door, and the sound suddenly stopped. I pushed his door gently, and it creaked open.

Swallowing, I popped my head inside, looking around. A loud door slamming caused me to jump, and it was Damon's closet door that had made the noise.

My eyes scanned the room again, trying to find something out of place. Once I had decided that no one was there, I exited his room, and continued back to my own.

After taking off my shoes and slipping on a more comfortable pair of jeans, I sat on my window seat and stared out the window for a long while, occasionally writing about the day in my journal. I didn't want to write too much, as I was sure there would be more to come.

_Dear Diary,_

_Elena and I went to her biological mother's best friend's house today. Her name is Trudie, and she was a bit strange, to say the least. She knew about vampires, that much I know for sure. Elena didn't get as big as a bad vibe off of her like I did, but she still admitted that her behavior was kind of antsy. Trudie didn't really shine any light on the whole missing mom situation. When I got home, I could have sworn that someone was in the house, but I looked around, and didn't find anyone, so I guess not. Maybe my imagination is playing tricks on me. Probably since I spend most of my time around sneaky vampires._

_Anna's words are still playing in my mind. I scream and make big deal when I see one who isn't my friend, yet I live in a house with two of them. Maybe it would be best if Zach and I moved out. Or maybe just me. I'm sure someone wouldn't mind if I stayed with them for a while._

_I'll finish this entry tonight, after the Bachelor Raffle._

I didn't bother to sign my name, as the entry wasn't finished quite yet. The pipes in the house squeaked, and it suddenly got quieter than it had been.

_Had someone come home?_

I was bad about drifting off when I wrote. Someone could probably break into my house and I wouldn't even notice.

"Stefan?" I asked, walking into the hall way. Damon's door was opened slightly, and I stuck my head in. "Damon? That you?"

"Even better, love." a voice purred. "Me."

Klaus walked out of the bathroom, his pants hanging dangerously low on his hips.

My eyes flickered down to the toned V line, and I forced myself to look back to his face.

"You look, uh."

"Dapper?" Klaus smirked. "Irresistible? Handsome?"

I scoffed in irritation. "You look drunk, and possibly even stoned. Have you even heard of shirts?" I gestured to his bare chest, and he chuckled.

"Yes, love. I know what a shirt is. And I'm not high, or drunk. I'm one of Mystic Falls' most 'eligible bachelors'."

I creased my brow, not expecting that from him. "Huh." I said, still trying to keep my eyes locked onto his face.

"Yep." he popped the p, and went back into the bathroom. He came back out with a shirt on, but it wasn't buttoned up yet.

"How are you doing?" I asked, gauging his reaction cautiously. I knew from stories that he was close with Chandra and perhaps even Katherine. But how close the two of them were, I wasn't exactly sure.

"I'm fine, love. Now Damon, on the other hand. Eesh." he assured me, but grimaced at Damon. "He was always a love sick fool."

When he saw that I was still there, he walked a few steps towards me. "So, love, what can I do for you? I'm a barrel of favors today. My newly found purpose – being uselessly helpful."

"Oh, uh, I just thought that you were Stefan, is all. I was going to talk to him about today, if Elena hadn't already."

"What happened today, love?" he asked, his eyes curiously narrowed.

He fiddled with his buttons, and then cursed under his breath. "Be a doll, and button these for me?"

He walked over to me, and I sighed, grabbing the front of his shirt. I lined up the buttons, making sure it was straight, before starting to button it up.

"Elena is trying to find her birth mother, a lady named Isobel."

Something flashed in Klaus' eyes, so fast I almost didn't catch it.

"I'm trying to find my dad, too." I continued, not commenting on what I thought I saw.

"Who cares, love?"

I scoffed, a bit hurt. "Uh, I do. I'd like to know the guy who-"

He smirked wolfishly. "Chill, love. I mean, he left you to live with-" he gestured to the house. "A house full a vampires. He sucks."

Klaus' brows furrowed and I turned around. Stefan was standing in the doorway, looking confused.

"Stefan." I said cheerfully, walking over to him. "Did you get filled in on what happened?"

I heard a gasp. "A party in my room, and I wasn't invited! Goodness gracious! How scandalous!"

Damon walked into his room, brushing past his brother, and making intense eye contact with Klaus.

 _Were they not getting along?_ I wondered.

"I need a bigger jacket." Damon mumbled, smoothing his shirt down over his chest. "Sheesh. Y'know, Stef, an occasional sorority girl might help ya, uh, help fill you a bit."

He grabbed a new jacket and left the room. Klaus glanced at Stefan and I before following.

"He's fine?" I said uncertainly, staring off at Damon. He seemed fine to me, but Stefan knew him better than I did. I was unsure of Damon most times; he could be hard to read.

"He's Damon, who knows." Stefan said seriously, and I agreed.

"Maybe all this 'heartache' will be good for him. Might actually remind him he has one, even if it hasn't beat in over a hundred years."

"I heard that Blondie!" I heard him shout from somewhere in the house, and Stefan chuckled.

"I'm sure not gonna hold my breath."

"So, did Elena fill you in?"

"About?" Stefan's expression became stony, and my eyes widened.

I explained to him about how we went any visited Trudie, and how she knew about vampires and vervain. Halfway through the conversation we moved into his room, and I sat on his bed, my legs folded up under me.

He was silent as I spoke.

"This is Alaric's wife, Caroline." he held out a small picture of a dark haired lady.

"That's Isobel!" I exclaimed, and I cocked my head to the side. "Ric gave that to you?"

"Everything he knows about us, he learned from her. He thinks...he believes that...Damon... killed her."

My mouth dropped open. "Oh, god. Does Elena know?"

He shook his head.

"You need to tell her, Stefan. I know you two aren't in the best place right now, and I'm sorry, but you don't have a right to keep something as big as this from her!"

He gnawed on his lip and avoided my gaze. "There's a lot Ric could tell Elena about Isobel, but I really need you to hold up on telling her about all this."

"I wasn't going to -" I started, but Stefan looked earnestly down at me.

"Caroline, I can see it in your eyes. You would have went straight to your phone after this, and told her. I know you."

I sighed in defeat, because he was right. "Why?"

"I don't know if Damon realizes who Isobel was and who Alaric is. And, I don't know how Elena will react when she finds out."

I looked down at the carpet before meeting his eyes. "Okay." I said softly, and got up, heading towards my room.

"You need a ride to the fundraiser?"

"Sure." Stefan said, smiling tightly.

I smiled in response before heading back to my room. I had an hour or two to kill until the fundraiser, might as well make dinner or something.

~0~

While I was in the kitchen, making a can of soup I had found in the pantry, I heard voices in the parlor.

I walked closer to the doorway of the kitchen, trying to hear what they were saying.

I only caught the last bit of Stefan and Damon's conversation.

"Did you kill her?" Stefan asked, and Damon was silent for a moment.

"Sorry. Don't know her."

Then it was silent, and I went back to the pot to turn off the heat, and spoon my minestrone soup into a mug.

I sat in library, curled up on the small loveseat by the biggest bookshelf.

I was eating my soup and reading  _the Scarlet Letter_  for school – er - trying to read it anyways, so far it was really boring and I couldn't get into it.

"Caroline." Zach said, walking into the room. "I thought I'd find you in here."

I glanced up, and let out a heavy breath in relief. "Thank god, a distraction." I tossed the book onto the side table. "I hate that book."

Zach chuckled, and came to sit next to me. " _The Scarlet Letter_." he winced. "I remember reading that my junior year."

I smiled and nodded, stirring my spoon into my once warm soup. I had eaten most of it, but there was still a fair amount of broth and seasonings floating around in the cup.

"Zach." I suddenly said. "Are you comfortable here?"

He frowned. "What do you mean?"

I smiled, shaking my head. "It's just something another vampire said to me." I paused. "She said, ' _Y_ _ou make a big ruckus, shrieking and screaming. You even try to escape – but then you go right back to that house and live in a house full of what you run from_.'"

"Well, she's right, whoever she is." he murmured. "And I was comfortable here at one point; when I wasn't worried about girls dying in my house, or Damon, or just vampires in general. I'd always known about Stefan and Damon – what they are, but I never really got dragged into it until recently, and even now I'm not involved in much drama." he gnawed on his lip. "Do you want to leave?"

I shook my head immediately, maybe even too quickly. "No. No. No. No. I'm not saying I want to leave, I just..."

I rubbed my forehead. "I just don't want to be worried about someone or something being able to get into my room. I just...don't feel...safe sometimes."

He sighed heavily, placing his hand on my knee. "I know, Caroline." we were silent for a moment. "We could move...if you wanted to. Get an apartment in town, or even a house. There's always some up for sale."

I stared at the vast bookshelves, already feeling like this place was home, despite my shorter than usual time I'd spent residing here.

Stefan walked into the library, cutting off whatever I might have said in response, and I was honestly glad he walked in when he did.

"Hey Caroline." he smiled and nodded at Zach. There was no tension between them, or at least none that I could tell, and I was glad of that.

"Ready to go?" I asked, getting up off the loveseat.

He motioned to the grandfather clock, which was about to strike six o'clock. "We probably should leave if we want to get there by 6:15."

I said good-bye to Zach, and went up to my room to grab my purse off my bed, before Stefan and I got into my car and we headed to the raffle.

~0~

**Third Person POV**

"Tickets for the raffle sale are on now! All of the proceeds benefit the annual Founder's Day celebration!" Carol announced from the stage.

"Hey, look, uh, I'm really sorry, uh, about earlier. It was just kind of a... a shock." Ric said to Jenna, who had just walked up to him.

Carol rambled on in the background, her voice fading away to something like background music.

"No, I'm sorry for dropping it on you, but I felt like you should know." Jenna apologized, and Ric shook his head slightly, taking a sip of his drink.

"No, I get it."

Jenna smiled weakly, and continued. "At some point, maybe you and Elena could talk. I'm sure she'd like to hear about Isobel, what she was like."

"Yeah." he said, but Jenna could tell he really didn't want to.

"Uh... Or not. No pressure." she said promptly, and he averted his eyes to the stage.

"I don't know if that's a-a great idea." clearing his throat, he made a grim face. "At least not—not for a while."

Jenna nodded understandingly, she couldn't imagine how awkward and painful it must be for Ric.

Sheriff Rudy walked into Mystic Grill, his eyes scanning the crowd for Damon. He spotted him talking to Carol in a corner.

Damon took note of the Sheriff's presence and he excused himself, going over to Rudy.

"Rudy." he nodded. "What did you find?"

"Want this before or after your big debut?" he asked seriously, and Damon smiled a little sarcastic smile.

"How's it look?"

Damon took the offered folder and leafed through it.

"He checks out. Few speeding tickets, but the poor guy has a rough story. Turns out his wife went missing – probably died – a few years back in North Carolina."

Damon's eyes widened and he flashed back briefly to the multiple conversations he had had with his brother.

"North Carolina?" he questioned. "She have a name?"

"Yep." Rudy said, popping the p. He flipped the page back to tap a photo of a dark haired woman. "Isobel."

"Isobel." Damon repeated, recognition flashing through him.

_No way he could forget that face – or that night._

~0~

**Caroline's POV**

When Stefan and I entered the Grill, the men already up on stage, and three of them were Ric, Damon and Klaus.

Carol was on stage as well, introducing the men.

I looked around the grill, trying to see who all was here. Jenna and Elena were at a table, drinking something and talking. Matt and Kelly – his mom – were at another booth, and Kelly looked drunk. I caught Matt gazing longingly at Elena, who seemed to be ignoring him.

 _What did she do now?_  I wondered.

I continued to look around, seeing some old ladies from my old church, and a few parents.

"Damon Salvatore." I heard Carol say, and my gaze was drawn to the stage. "We don't have much on you."

Damon chuckled, his famous smirk plastered to his face. "Well, I'm pretty tough to fit on a card."

"So, tell us about yourself then! Hobbies, travels?"

Damon's smirk widened. "Oh yeah, definitely! New York, L.A., and a couple of years ago I went to North Carolina – near the Duke campus, actually! Ric! Didn't you – didn't you go there?"

They turned to look at each other, and Stefan stiffened beside me.

"I thought you said he didn't know!" I hissed at him, and he looked at me with wide eyes.

"He didn't." his gaze scanned the crowd. "Must have found out from someone else."

"Yeah, 'cause, I – I know your wife did!" Damon plastered on a fake smile, and Alaric just stared back.

"I had a drink with her once. She was a great girl! I ever tell you that? She was – delicious! Mmm!" Damon continued, and he had a mocking tone to his voice.

My eyes locked on Elena. Her mouth dropped open, and I saw tears fill her brown eyes. She got up and pushed her way through the crowd.

"Stefan." she said, her voice cracking. "Is it true?"

His brows furrowed in guilt and he hung his head, nodding slowly.

Her breath caught in her throat, and she turned to me. I wore a similar expression to Stefan's.

"You knew too?" her voice wavered and she headed outside.

I gave them a minute or two of time to talk, before I headed outside. My eyes scanned the crowd, and they landed on a familiar looking man.

I headed over to Elena and Stefan, finding them a few moments later.

"Stefan." I said lowly, so Elena wouldn't hear. "That man was outside of Trudie's."

His eyes darted over to the man causally before wrapping an arm around Elena's shoulder. "Let's get back inside. C'mon."

I looked back at the man, and saw that he was walking towards me.

"Chandra!" he called, and I froze, trying to mask the shock.

 _Might as well play along..._  I thought, trying to determine what the best response would be.

"What?" I demanded in my best regal voice. "What do you want?"

When he got closer, I studied his face. He had dark blonde hair and intense blue eyes. Something in my chest pinged, and I realized he looked familiar for some reason.

_I knew him from somewhere, but where?_

"Did you deliver the message to them?" he asked. "Have I done my part?"

I gave him a once over, and pursed my lips. "Patience. You're almost done."

He nodded quickly and I turned around, heading back inside.

My heart was racing, and as soon as the door shut behind me, my hand flew to my mouth, and I headed towards Stefan.

I stumbled into someone, and staggered backwards.

"Whoa there Blondie! Easy, tiger! Go buy a ticket like everyone else." he smirked down at me, and my roller-coaster of emotions took a turn for the worse.

"Did you enjoy that, Damon? Rubbing it into Alaric? God! You're so- ugh!" I tried to walk around him, just to get away from everything.

His hand caught my arm, and I attempted to get away.

"What are you talking about Blondie?"

"Just as I was starting to think that maybe just  _maybe_ a part of you is redeemable, human, even!" I snarled, trying to wriggle my arm out again.

Stefan and Elena walked up, and Damon's brows were scrunched up, his gaze still fixated on me.

"Am I missing something here?"

"Caroline," I heard Elena say softly, and her hand touched my shoulder. "Don't."

"Did someone forget to mention who Elena's mother was?"

Damon's face searched Elena's. He obviously still couldn't put two and two together.

"Her name was Isobel, you freaking moron! Now you can go and reminisce about how you killed her. But I want you to  _remember_  how much you're hurting her." I finally ripped my arm out of his grip, took Elena's hand, and dragged her away.

I led her and Stefan outside, and Elena broke down again.

"How could he Stefan?" she sobbed, leaning into his chest.

I gnawed on my lip, and saw the man who had spoken to me with another man in the distance.

The blue eyed man walked away, not even glancing back at us once.

"I have a message for you, Elena." he said. This man had dark brown hair, and his eyes were a dull green. They looked glazed over, almost like he was in a trance.

"What?" Elena asked, and Stefan stepped in front of us protecitvely.

"Just stop looking."

"Stop looking for what?" she questioned, and he didn't seem to register that Elena even spoke.

"She doesn't want to know you. She doesn't want to talk to you."

"Isobel?" Stefan asked, squinting his eyes slightly

"She's alive?" Elena almost shrieked. "Is she a-"

She inched around Stefan, and I grabbed her arm. "Elena, he's compelled." I hissed and she stopped.

"Do you understand?"

"Yes." her voice sounded small. "I do."

"I'm done now." I heard the man say, and he stepped backwards into the road. I heard a loud horn blare, and the squeaking of brakes, but the man was hit anyways. He flew through the air, spinning and flopping limply.

~0~

**Third Person POV**

Matt guided his heavily intoxicated Mom into this house.

"Here we go." he said gently. "Home sweet home."

"Wait. Why—why are we back here? I wasn't ready to leave." Kelly asked, her gaze scanning the house.

Matt sighed. He hoped she wouldn't have gotten drunk in public so soon, but he should have known better. "Yeah you were, Mom." he said softly, and he sat her down onto the couch.

"You're the best, Matty." she mumbled, trying to lay down. "I'm sorry about what I said earlier." she yawned wide and Matt helped her lay down.

"Why are you really here, Mom?"

"S'not important." she said, her voice heavy with sleep.

Matt sighed again and got the blanket off the back of the couch. Draping it over her, he smiled sadly down at her before retreating to his room.

~0~

**Caroline's POV**

When I got back home, I knew something was off. The door was unlocked, meaning one of the two brothers had already been home. I heard a wheeze, and I ran into the living room.

"DAMON!" I shrieked, and froze in my place. Alaric had a stake sticking out of his chest, which Damon promptly removed.

He didn't even look at me. "Ouch, sounds like a hit a lung."

Damon's gaze drifted over to me, and I saw shock and shame flitter across his face. "Now Blondie and I can sit here and watch you die." he smirked and pushed Ric to the floor.

I was still frozen in my spot, watching as Ric continued to gasp for breath. Damon went over and poured himself a drink, before sitting on the sofa.

When Ric stopped breathing, I moved. I headed straight for Damon, practically fuming.

_[F word after line]_

* * *

"Damon  _fucking_  Salvatore!" I snarled, and I heard someone rush into the room.

"What happened?" Stefan asked, gasping when he saw Alaric's body. "What did you do?"

I continued my path to Damon, who was watching me with unveiled amusement.

"Hello Blond-" he started to say, but was cut off abruptly.

My hand flew out and I smacked him as hard as I could. His head whipped to the side, and my hand stung.

"You fucking -" S _mack._  "bastard."

* * *

I smacked him once more for good measure, and ran over to Stefan, who was kneeling next to Alaric's body.

"I'm going upstairs." I whispered, holding back tears.

Stefan hugged me tightly before nodding.

I ran out of the room, my head down, hair blocking my face.

Damon flashed in front of me. "Caroline-" he said gently, and I shoved him out of my way.

"Don't, Damon."

I ran up the stairs, into my room. I slammed my door so hard it echoed across the entire house.

Leaping onto my bed, I kicked off my shoes and buried my face into my pillow.

No tears came, but I still had a red hot anger coursing through my veins.

Damon made it so hard sometimes! I wanted to like him and be his friend – I really did, but he was so reckless, so selfish, so  _Damon_. I just couldn't.

I sat up, shoving my hair out of my face. Grabbing my journal off the nightstand, I scribbled the night's events out furiously, my letters slanting strangely.

I heard a knock on my door, and I sighed heavily. "Go away, Stefan. I'm fine."

"Caroline." a voice said, and my eyes widened

_That was Alaric's voice!  
_

"Ric?" I asked, scrambling off my bed and to the door. I cracked it open, peering cautiously out into the hallway.

When I saw Alaric standing there in his bloody shirt I threw the door open.

"How are you alive?"

Ric spent the next twenty minutes telling me about Isobel and how she gave him the ring to protect him from supernatural matters. He told me to not be mad at Damon, who had only attacked him because he had came there to kill him first. When Ric left, I felt closer to my teacher than ever before. I could even call him a friend now.

~0~

**Third Person POV**

At the Gilbert house, Elena played with a prepaid flip phone in her hand.

She quickly selected a number to dial and put the phone up to her ear before she could change her mind.

"Was there a problem?" a voice answered.  _A female voice. Isobel._ "Did you find her? What's going on?"

"Is-isobel?" Elena stuttered out, and the line went dead.

Meanwhile, a vampire walked down the path in the woods. He had been watching the town happenings for a while. He liked it here. It was much better than 1864. Much more convenient, too.

"Harper." Pearl said, smiling at the man standing outside. "I'm so glad you found us." Pearl turned to a little old lady who was next to her – a human.

"May he come in, Miss Gibbons? He is a friend of mine."

"Any friend of Pearl's is a friend of mine!" the lady said, her eyes glazed over. "Please come in!"

"Annabelle, close the door please." Pearl commanded, and Anna nodded, looking into the woods as she shut the door.

 


	41. There Goes the Neighborhood : Part One

_Previously on Everything Changes..._

_"Ric?" I asked, scrambling off my bed and to the door. I cracked it open, peering cautiously out into the hallway._

_When I saw Alaric standing there in his bloody shirt I threw the door open._

_"How are you alive?"_

_Ric spent the next twenty minutes telling me about Isobel and how she gave him the ring to protect him from supernatural matters. He told me to not be mad at Damon, who had only attacked him because he had came there to kill him first. When Ric left, I felt closer to my teacher than ever before. I could even call him a friend now._

* * *

**Third Person POV**

Anna walked down the stairs of Miss Gibbon's house. "Hey Beth-Anne!" she greeted, nodding her head at the other vampire.

Peering at the television, she noticed it was still at the same channel as last night. "You've been watching the same thing the whole time, I see. This is called a remote control." Anna picked up the device and handed to her. "There are over 150 channels. This button changes the channel. Hold it like this." She demonstrated how to change a channel and the girl's eyes lit up.

"Thank you!" Beth-Anne exclaimed.

Anna smiled and went into the dining room. Fredrick, another tomb vampire, was feeding on Miss Gibbons.

"Did you get enough, dear?" she asked sweetly, her glazed over eyes peering at him curiously.

"For now," he wiped his mouth off on his sleeve.

"Anna, are you hungry?" she turned to the girl. "Did you want a little?"

Anna smiled tightly. "No thank you Ms. Gibbons." With a quick listen to the elderly lady's heart, she added. "Why don't you lie down for a while and get some rest?"

Fredrick eyed Pearl's daughter warily. "She's fine. Aren't you, Miss Gibbons?" he compelled the lady, who nodded robotically.

"Of course I am. I'm fine." She left the room, a plastic smile on her face.

 _Don't start any drama._  Her mom had said. Despite her mom's plea, Anna still shot Fredrick a hateful glare before leaving the room.

Anna walked into the hallway. She heard someone barely whisper Klaus' name, and she furrowed her brows, walking down towards the dining room.

_Why were they talking about Klaus? Their deal was over the moment those tomb doors opened..._

She stopped just outside, pressing her back to the wall. Peeking her head through the doorway, she narrowed her eyes.

Her mother, and a few others were leaning over a newer map of Mystic Falls, and talking in hushed voices. Anna's ears struggled to pick up on their words, but her gaze faltered when she couldn't. Looking around, she saw a bundle of something burning on the table and knew it must have been some sort of spell stopping her from eavesdropping.

_But if that was lit, then how did she hear Klaus' name?_

~0~

Meanwhile at the Donovan residence, Kelly sat inside her old bedroom, speaking in a hushed tone.

"No, I haven't had a chance yet," she said raking a hand through her dark hair. "I've been busy."

The person on the other line said something in response, and she flinched. "Yeah, I'll get it done today. I'll let you know what goes on."

Kelly heard her son's bedroom door creak open and she fumbled to get back under her covers. "It's okay," she replied, but her face said it wasn't really. "I know. I have to go. Matty's awake."

"Hey Mom!" Matt banged on the bedroom door, waiting for an answer. "Hey Mom?"

Kelly groaned and hopped out of bed. She opened the door and yawned widely for show. "What? I'm trying to sleep."

Matt's blue eyes softened. "Sorry, just making sure you were alive is all."

She smiled halfheartedly, head throbbing.

Keeping up the drunk act required her to actually get drunk _._

 _Might have to change that…_ She thought.

"It's alright Matty. I just had a late night." Her own voice was inhumanly loud for her ears. "My head's still throbbing."

"I would appreciate it if you didn't bring the party home. And I think the neighbors would definitely appreciate it too."

She vaguely remembered bringing home some random guy she'd met at The Grill last night. They'd hit it off, but she couldn't seem to make herself sleep with him. She wasn't 22 anymore.

"It wasn't a party. Just one guy, don't be so judgy."

Matt nibbled on his lip, nodding to himself. "I talked to Roberta at The Grill yesterday and there's still a bar-tending position open if you still want to...y'know...get a job."

Kelly winced. "I figured she'd still be pissed about the last time I worked there."

She had slept with her boyfriend, after all.

"I think she's desperate."

"I'll check it out," Kelly mumbled, flashing back to her conversation earlier this morning.

"Yeah?" he questioned in surprise, and Kelly smiled tightly.

"Hey now, don't act so surprised." Matt's surprised expression immediately disappeared, and he scratched the back of his neck.

"Well...I mean, I didn't know how long you planned on sticking around," he said awkwardly.

"Well, there's back rent due," she mumbled, and the doorbell.

"Who's that?" her eyes searched Matt's face, and she smirked. "Elena I see."

He walked down the hall and opened the front door, letting his... _friend_...in.

"Hey, if you wanted to get breakfast before school we gotta go now or we're..." Elena trailed off, seeing Kelly standing a few feet behind Matt.

"Hi Ms. Donovan," she offered weakly, waving.

Kelly plastered a smile onto her face, waving back. "Good morning Elena! How are you?"

Matt's eyes narrowed and he turned on his heel to stare at his mom in shock.

_What a strange response...he'd thought that she didn't approve of her anymore._

"Good, you?" Elena responded, not seeming to realize Kelly's strange behavior.

"I'm fine, thanks," she went into the kitchen, leaving the two alone in the living room.

"I'm ready to go." Matt picked up his backpack off the floor and the two of them left.

~0~

**Caroline's POV**

"Caroline."

I paused outside my bedroom door, and my name was called again.

"Care."

Furrowing my brows, I looked around.

"Stefan?" I asked, still trying to find the source. "Where are you?"

"Over here."

I turned around and saw him in the doorway to the den.

"Oh, hey!" I smiled and walked towards him.

"Someone's here to see you," he said hesitantly and I paused just before the entrance.

"Hi Care," said a familiar voice from inside the room. My eyebrows shot into my hairline.

I met Stefan's gaze. He smiled, probably realizing what I was thinking.

 _Bonnie?_   _But she wasn't supposed to be back for a while..._

Stefan stepped to the side and I saw Bonnie seated on the couch.

"Bonnie?" I repeated my previous thoughts. "But I thought you weren't supposed to be home until-"

She tucked her legs up underneath her and patted the other cushion.

"I decided to come home early. Didn't want to be a gloomy graveyard girl forever," she giggled lightly, knowing that I'd earned that name right after my mom died.

"How are you?" I asked, immediately regretting it.

_Rule number one Caroline, it's stupid to ask how they are. Especially when that person is Bonnie Bennett, and when the person who died was her 'mother-figure'._

"Sorry," I sat down on the couch next to her. "How's your aunt?"

Bonnie smile seemed a bit forced, but I didn't comment on it. She eyed Stefan warily before speaking.

"She's good. A bit shaken, of course, but good."

"Are you going back to school?" I asked, changing the subject.

She pressed her lips tightly together, shaking her head. "Not yet. I'm going to help my aunt clean out Gr-Gram's house and then I probably will."

I changed the subject again, talking about clothes and television shows for a while. Bonnie still seemed distant though, angry almost. Stefan had left halfway through the conversation, murmuring something about getting ready for school. Her mood increased slightly after that, but I still sensed a sort of uneasy tension.

 _Was she mad at Stefan?_  I wondered on my drive to school.  _Why would she be mad at Stefan?_

~0~

Stefan and I walked through the halls, headed outside for lunch. It was a chilly day, and part of me wished we would be sitting inside for lunch, but no such luck.

People could eavesdrop inside, and outside had some of the best 'privacy' school could offer.

"Damon hasn't said a word to me," Stefan mumbled. "Has he said anything to you?"

I shook my head, adjusting my scarf around myneck a moment after. "Nope, I haven't even heard any snide comments about my blonde hair or anything."

Stefan nodded to himself. "Every time I try to talk to him, he shuts me down."

"Do you think he's trying to find Chandra still?" I asked. "He was really crushed after the whole tomb thing, I'm sure."

"I don't know," he responded honestly. "He waited 145 years to find a girl who didn't even care about him. It's gotta hurt, right?"

"Were you surprised that Katherine wasn't there?" I suddenly queried. "I know that you two had a thing back in the day."

He raised an eyebrow. "Why wouldn't I be surprised?"

I shrugged. "I don't know, stupid question, sorry. You just didn't seem to react as much."

Stefan sighed. "I did... I didn't want Damon or you to see it," he admitted sheepishly, ducking his head as if he were embarrassed **.**  "Almost drank Mystic Grill's liquor stock dry."

My eyes widened slightly. We sat down at our picnic table, and I pulled out my lunch tote.

"Are you alright?"

Stefan kind of just halfheartedly shrugged, and I stopped dead in my tracks, placing my hand on his shoulder. "Stefan. Are you okay? Like really?" I was being completely serious, studying his green eyes for whatever emotion I could comb out.

"As fine as I can be." he replied obscurely.

"C'mon Stefan, I'm practically your best friend. You can tell me these things!" I tugged on his arm, staring at his face. "Heck- you've listened to me rant about my drama before – and you even gave me advice! Let me do the same for you."

He sighed, and let me over to a tree, where we stood. "When Katherine wasn't there, I was really surprised, to be honest. I expected her to come out, and for me to have to try my hardest to not feel what I thought I felt for her so long ago. Elena and I were complicated then – we still are now – and I wasn't sure if I was happy or sad that she wasn't in there." he explained. "I don't know what to think anymore. Elena and I were so close, it seemed, only a few weeks ago, and now she's jumping from Matt, and back to me. I don't know if I'm wasting my time pining after her, or if she really feels for either of us at all." he exhaled, wiping a hand down his face restlessly.

"Thank you for confiding in me, Stef." I said softly.

I looked at the cold ground for a moment before leading us back onto the path.

"So you really think Damon's okay?" I changed the subject, and Stefan shrugged.

"I don't know, like I said, Care, it's gotta hurt. He was more obsessed with opening the tomb than I was."

"And all that heartache  _couldn't_  have happened to a  _nicer_  guy." I said sarcastically, biting into my turkey sandwich.

"You're eating?" I laughed uncertainly, not really wanting to talk about my Damon emotions right now..  _Since when did Stefan eat?_

He shrugged, throwing a chip into his mouth and chomping down. "Gotta keep up the image."

"You're upset too, I see." Stefan pulled a bag of chips out of his pocket and started tomunchaway.

"He rubbed Isobel's death into Ric and Elena's faces. That was a dick move, and I don't enjoy associating or living with dicks." I pressed my lips into a straight line, sighing. "He's just a jerk, Stefan." I took another bite. "I'm sure Elena's upset too, you know how she is."

Elena suddenly sat down next to me. Having heard some of our conversion, she said dryly, "Ah, Isobel...my vampire birth mother, who's related to my vampire ancestor Katherine, who helped screw over you and your vampire brother. What a  _lovely_  family I have."

Her plate hit the table with a dull thump. Stefan raised an eyebrow slightly, staring at Elena.

Stefan hadn't mentioned it to me, and it was  _technically_  none of my business, but they seemed broken up. Elena and Matt had even arrived in the same car this morning.

 _Was it hard on Stefan? Elena being here?_ I wondered, looking at the old pair.

"Why aren't you with Matt?" he popped a chip into his mouth, and I could see the feigned nonchalance.

She was silent for a moment before shrugging.

"It'd be so nice if we could get through just  _one_  day without having to deal with any of this crap. No vampire mother, brother, long lost grandma, any of it." Elena groaned, sinking her teeth into her pizza, which was steaming profusely. I took note of how she blatantly ignored the Matt question Stefan had aimed at her.

"No vampires at all?" I raised an eyebrow.

She shrugged. "I could tolerate Stefan," she sent him a flirtatious smirk.

Stefan clenched his jaw, staring off down the path.

_They had technically broken up, but she kept coming back to him._

"I just want to get on with normal stuff...like y'know: fun!" she threw her hands out, knocking my cup of water off the table.

I growled in frustration, bending over and picking up my wet purse.

"I'll be back." I took another large bite into my sandwich and carried my now empty water bottle and purse into the school.

~0~

**Third Person POV**

Back at the table, Elena and Stefan sat in silence, Stefan munching on his chips, still staring down the path.

"So, Stefan..." Elena said, and Stefan got up.

"No, Elena, I just can't right now okay?" he stared coldly down at her. "I have enough drama with Damon right now. I really don't want to deal with our high school drama right now."

Elena creased her brows and her hand rested on his.

"I was just going to say that I'm here if you need me."

She batted her eyelashes and Stefan felt himself being drawn back into Elena's alluring presence.

"Are you? Are you really? You seem to be there for Matt more!" he snapped, and she recoiled slightly, but kept her hand in place. "Who do you even want, Elena? We aren't puppets for your own amusement. We both have feelings, and I do not appreciate being toyed with."

She jutted out her bottom lip, and he saw part of the girl he had thought he'd fallen for.

"I-I'm sorry. I just don't know who I want. I feel for you and Matt both, Stefan, honestly."

He worked his jaw, and decided to sit back down.

Her actions reminded him of Katherine.

His former lover had the same...tactics... as Elena.

He scowled, disgusted with himself. Even over a hundred and fifty years later, the same tactics, the same face, even, made him weak in the knees.

He'd noticed right off the bat that Katherine and Elena were similar, but not  _this_  similar. Usually Elena could be an air-head, even a bit selfish and uptight at times, but he hadn't seen the extreme similarity until now. The batting of the eyelashes, the sympathy-fake or not – it was tactics most girls used. He'd truly loved Katherine back in the day – or so he thought – but it never was real for her. Stefan was always a game to her. See how far he'd go, see how obedient he could be.

What originally drew him back into Mystic Falls was Caroline. When he got a call from Zach, who was politely asking if it was okay for the girl to move back in, he'd gotten curious. Not only was this girl an exact replica of Chandra, but she was friends with Elena – who looked just like Katherine.

Stefan felt his mind being pulled into a flashback as he stared at her pretty face.

_Flashback to Mystic Falls..._

_Stefan's kisses lingered on Katherine's neck as he pulled away. He glanced cautiously at the clock, mumbling curses under his breath as he saw the time._

_He had promised his father that he would be in his study at 2:15 for a meeting. It was already 2:05 now, and he would need to get dressed and comb his hair if he hoped to be at least slightly presentable._

_He got off the bed, with a moan of protest from Katherine, who reached out for him longingly._

" _Aw, Stef, don't leave." She whined, and her fingertips trailed down his arm, sending goose bumps down his spine._

_Stefan glanced down at her, and then back to the clock._

" _I must meet my father at 2:15. He will be suspicious if I do not show."_

_Her bottom lip jutted out and she grabbed his arm. "Stay with me for a while longer."_

_At the time, Stefan didn't realize she was trying to compel him. His father had slipped vervain into his breakfast this morning, leaving him uncontrollable for the next 12 hours at the least._

_Her brown eye stared into his green, and he nodded._

_Just for a little bit longer. He decided on his own._

" _Okay," he sank back down to the bed and she pulled him to her with a devilish smirk._

~0~

"Stefan." Elena's voice jerked him back to the present, and he shook his head, clearing away the memory.

"Sorry," he dipped his head. "What were you saying?"

She huffed a heavy sigh. "I said we should go on a double date! You and Caroline and Matt and I!"

Stefan's eyebrows lowered. "What are you talking about? I'm not dating Caroline."

_Did it really look like that? Surely Caroline didn't think that they were dating,_ _or even flirting_ _. Was Elena jealous?_

"Oh," she said lamely.

 _Oh?_ Stefan wondered.  _What's that supposed to mean?_

~0~

Anna, who was still at Ms. Gibbon's farmhouse, walked into the small living-room. There were two average size maroon couches settled in an L shape, and an oak coffee table in front of them, a few books and remotes on top. The wallpaper was a navy blue on the top half, and a white on the bottom, the two colors separated by trimming.

Her mother was currently explaining cellphones and texting to Harper and some of the other vampires. It was strange for them, she was sure. Suddenly, Jeremy's voice hit her ears and Anna rushed towards the phone.

She knew how her mom would react if she even had the slightest thought that her and Jeremy – a Gilbert – were more than acquaintances.

"I didn't break it, I swear!" Harper said, looking distressed.

She offered a weak smile and clicked the end button. His voice-mail stopped and Pearl grinned at her daughter.

"I was just showing Harper what you taught me! What a marvelous device!" she grinned even wider and Harper spoke up.

"Who was that?" he asked curiously. "Is that your boyfriend?"

"Jeremy Gilbert," she responded, and her eyes widened when he asked if he was her  _boyfriend._ Anna was thankful that she couldn't blush, because if she could, she was sure she'd be as red as a tomato right now.

"Of course not," Pearl responded for her, standing up.

It was then that Anna noticed her mother's new outfit. She was wearing a long black skirt and a white blouse with a dark fitted jacket over it. Her hair was pulled back into her usual severe high bun.

"What do you think?" she asked, spinning slowly.

"Very respectable," her daughter responded, as she knew that was what she wanted to hear.

"That's the goal," her mother simpered, smoothing her hands down her waist. "Can't say I miss corsets."

Anna chuckled and something popped into her brain. "Oh! Before I forget, Susie Sunshine gave me her car keys and ATM card."

"What's that?" Pearl asked, and she looked at the plastic card in her daughter's hand.

"I'll explain later." Anna waved her hand and her mother and her left the room.

"Where are you going?" Fredrick asked. He had been looming in the hall, that much was obvious, but for how long, Anna didn't know.

"We have business in town. We'll be back as-soon-as we can. I trust you'll keep an eye on things," Pearl said, walking away.

"So I'm the  _baby sitter_  now?" Fredrick's lips turned down in annoyance.

"Fredrick," Pearl said as if she was talking to a small child. "If this is going to work, we have to cooperate with one another."

"So you're saying…," he started to say, but was cut off by Harper.

"I'll watch things Miss Pearl."

"Thank you Harper," Pearl nodded, smiling cheerfully at the boy before glaring at Fredrick pointedly.

~0~

Caroline returned to the picnic table about five minutes after she had departed, and Stefan and Elena were still there, being at least somewhat civil to one another.

"Hey," she greeted, sitting down next to Elena. After a curious inspection of her sandwich, she took a bite. "What did I miss?"

Stefan scratched back of his neck. How had he even agreed to this?

"Uh, Elena had the, uh, idea to go on a double 'date'."

Caroline cocked her head. "Date? But, Stefan," she laughed at the idea. "We aren't even dating – and no offense, but I don't want to date you!"

He laughed along with her, looking relieved.

"Before you say no," Elena butted in, touching my shoulder. "I'm not thinking anything big. Just dinner at The Grill and maybe a movie or something. You don't even have to sit by him."

I raised an eyebrow, looking back to Stefan. "You're okay with this? I mean you agreed to go on a 'double date' with your..." I thought back to Matt and her holding hands second block. "ex?-girlfriend and her once-ex-now-current boyfriend?"

He 'heh'd awkwardly, staring down at the table.

"Do you think that's a good idea?" Elena asked me again, and I gazed at her.

"I don't know..." I mumbled, going to take another bite of my sandwich, but finding it already gone.

"Why not? We all haven't gone out together, as friends or as 'boyfriend-girlfriend' and I don't want it to be uncomfortable for any of us! I know the 'couple dynamics have changed and there's little awkwardness between us," she gestured from herself to Stefan. "And I just think it's important to get it over with."

Caroline sighed heavily. "I don't know," she repeated, and cast her gaze to her friend. "Stefan? Your input on this please?"

"I think it sounds like a great idea," he forced a smile onto his face. In all honesty, he didn't want to be stuck with Matt and Elena for a few hours, but Elena had a point. Perhaps it would work out any awkwardness. They could still be friends, he hoped.

~0~

Damon was leaving The Grill when he noticed two familiar dark haired ladies standing by his pale blue 1969 Chevy Camaro Convertible. He groaned lowly when he realized who they were.

_Pearl and Anna._

Damon had known that Pearl would have came calling when Anna filled her in on what had been going on. She'd had to have been here for a while, and that meant she probably knew more than Damon could possibly assume.

"Hello, Damon," Pearl bobbed her head in greeting, a smug grin on her face.

"Ever hear of, I don't know, a cellphone?" Damon wiggled his cellphone in the air before putting it back into his pocket. "You could have just called me, not stalked me, waiting out by my car."

"A phone call wasn't necessary, Mr. Salvatore. I just need to speak to you about our new terms."

Damon rushed forward, clamping his hand around Pearl's neck. "I'm not discussing terms with you, Pearl," he said through clenched teeth.

Calmly, Pearl twisted Damon's wrist, immediately loosening his grip and making him slouch to the floor.

He grunted in pain.

"Let's go have a seat, Damon. We need to have a word."

Pearl let go of his wrist and calmly walked over to the benches by the road. She sat down, waiting for Damon to come and sit with them.

"Sure," She heard Damon grumble as he got to his feet.

After a bit of unfriendly banter between the two adults, Pearl jumped straight to the point.

"We've taken up residence at a farmhouse just outside down. It'll suffice for now," she said, pursing her lips.

"All 25 vampires?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Not all. Some. I imagine that a few have already left town. Others are probably still in the woods or like us acclimating," she informed him politely.

Damon's eyes widened. He had had a feeling when judgy's Grandmother ended up dead, but he hadn't been completely sure until now. "How'd they get out of the tomb?" he scrunched his eyebrows, and Anna replied not even a second later.

"I think the witch screwed up that part of her hocus pocus," she said, and Damon nodded hesitantly.

"Oh."

"I understand from Anna that the Founding Families still have a secret council?" she asked, but her tone said that Pearl already knew that they did. Damon wasn't entirely sure why she had bothered to ask, but then again, he had never fully understood Pearl.

"And you're a part of it," Anna accused.

"That's ridiculous," he chuckled, and with a smirk he leaned back and tossed his arm over the back of the bench, propping his left ankle on his right knee.

"I've been in Mystic Falls since the comet, Damon." Anna smiled tightly, as if she was actually offended he thought they were that stupid. "I'm up to speed."

"And so am I. And now that you've infiltrated The Council, I'll need to know everything they know." Damon's smirk had practically melted off his face as he exhaled a long breath. "Starting with a listing names of all the council members and their families," Pearl finished, her daughter adding in another important part once she was done.

"And everyone you've supplied with vervain."

"Yes, that will have to stop immediately," The mother murmured, almost to herself.

Damon glared at Anna, irritated that she really had filled her in on  _everything. How much did this girl really know?_

He quickly turned his gaze back to Pearl. "What exactly are you trying to achieve?"

"Mystic Falls is our home, Damon," she said levelly. "They took that from us. Our land, our home. It's time we rebuild."

Damon's eye twitched, his expression grim. "What, are you crazy? It was 1864!" he rolled his eyes arrogantly. "Wake up woman. The world has moved on."

"As a reward for your help I'm willing to give you what you want most," she said, her voice still level.

Pearl knew how obsessed with Chandra he had been back in 1864, and from what Anna had told her, he was still  _very eager_  to find her.

"I want nothing," Damon murmured assuredly.

"Chandra," Pearl countered, smirking.

Damon snorted. "You wouldn't even know where she was. You've been under the ground for the last century and a half," he rolled his eyes again, and Pearl resisted the urge to shove those pretty blue eyes of his right into his skull.

"Chandra, Katherine and I were best friends long before we came to Mystic Falls, Damon." he pressed his lips together, and stared out into the road, considering this. "I know how she thinks, I know her patterns, I know where to find her."

His silence and obvious consideration excited Pearl, but she didn't show it. It would be so much easier to deal with a happy Damon, a Damon who was willing to help. He turned back to her, his face still emotionless.

"I no longer have any desire to see Chandra ever again. And there's no way in hell I'm gonna play the role of your little minion," he started to get up, but Pearl was up, faster than he had ever seen, and she pushed him back down onto the bench.

"I'm not asking for your help, Damon. Finding Chandra was just a mere gesture of kindness. The rest is non negotiable," she informed him, looming over him threateningly.

He scowled and suddenly she shoved her thumbs into his eye sockets, hissing dangerously. He scratched at her wrists, pulling and tugging them, while simultaneously groaning in agony.

When she pulled away, Damon's blue eyes were now completely bloody red. Pearl was kind enough to leave him with sight, but he'd be in pain until he got fresh blood in him.

"I have four hundred years on you, little boy. I'll rip you from limb to limb without even blinking and you know it. I'll be in touch," she stared down at the younger vampire, who was on the hard concrete, still groaning, palms pressed to his eyes.

~0~

Jeremy arrived home after school. After getting a small snack and saying hello to Jenna, he retreated to his room.

Pacing back and forth, his memory flashed back to a few nights before, when he had seen Anna's eyes. They had been red, and black veins were beneath them, protruding like dark circles. And in the dim moonlight, he could have sworn he had saw fangs.

Whipping out his laptop, he typed into Google's search:  _how do you become a vampire?_  Clicking on the first couple of links, everything seemed sarcastic and fake. After a few more tries, he came across a chat sight.

 _How do you become a vampire?_  He typed in, and waited for responses. A few heartbeats later, responses came in.

 _Brad Pitt changed me._  One said. Jeremy scoffed, and read the next one.

_Go to Vegas and ask for Wayne Newton._

_How do you kill a vampire?_ He asked, hoping for better answers this time.

_The blood of Paula Abdul._

He rolled his eyes and shook his head.

 _Serious answers only please._ He specified, drumming his fingers on the laptop keyboard.

_Stake in the heart always works._

His heart skipped a few beats.  _You're a believer?_

 _Aren't you?_  The person responded, and Jeremy paused.

_Did he actually believe in all this? Was he a 'believer' so to speak?_

Gnawing on his lip, he quickly shut his laptop and shoved it away from him.

~0~

**Caroline's POV**

I stood in front of my full length mirror, getting ready for my 'double-friendship-date' thing. Whatever you could call it.

I applied a bit of lip gloss, and pushed my curly hair behind my ear. Staring at my reflection I scoffed.

 _You don't have a date, Caroline!_  I reminded myself.  _This is Stefan you're going to be hanging out with. Not Klaus or Damon- not that I would want to date either of them._

Wiping off the lip gloss and shaking out my re-curled hair, I smiled nervously again.

_There. Now I look 'normal'._

Someone knocked twice on my door, and I stuck my head outside the bathroom. "Come in," I called.

Damon waltz inside, sunglasses covering his eyes.

Rolling my eyes, I commented, "Oh, it's you." I paused, and remembered last night. "Go away, Damon."

"Ooh still sore about last night, I see. You aren't the one who got his lung punctured!" he teased, walking over towards me. "Someone's got a hot date I see."

I furrowed my brows, shaking my head. "Yeah, uh no way. I'm going out with Stefan, Matt and Elena. Elena's calling it a double-date, but-"

 _Stop rambling Caroline,_ I chided myself, and simply shook my head.

I was furious with Damon for killing Ric, but he  _was_  still alive -  _technically_ , and I never was able to stay mad at Damon for long. His 'charm' always won me back over. I'd try my best to not let that happen this time. He wouldn't get off so easy.

"Whoa, easy there Blondie," he smirked down at me, and I stared at him in the mirror, rolling my eyes.

I pulled my hair over to the side and put in my hoop earrings that were previously laying on the counter.

"What's with the glasses?" I queried, moving my hand to take them off his face. I pulled them down, and my eyes widened when I saw his blue eyes. The whites of his eyes were deep red, and the skin around it was a faint blue, like an old bruise.

"Oh my god," my jaw dropped and I pushed the glasses back onto his face. "Yeah, you can leave those on."

"Ha. Ha," he said dully.

"What happened?" I asked, fumbling to find the second hole on my left ear. I turned my attention to the mirror, still listening to Damon.

"Pearl happened," he grumbled.

"Isn't that Anna's mother?" I asked, knowing that the name sounded familiar.

He nodded, and stood there silently for a moment.

"Can I ask you something?" his demeanor was suddenly serious, and I paused, my hands still up to my ear. I turned to face him, studying his expression. It was one of confusion and uncertainty.

"Yeah, shoot," I said, staring at him.

"Uh," he furrowed his brows, looking down for a moment. I could tell he was unsure how to word this. This was strange, coming from Damon of all people. He was usually arrogant and sure-footed when it came to any situation.

"So, Stefan mentioned that you were first to find Klaus in my room yesterday," he started. "What was...what was he doing there?"

I narrowed my eyes.  _Damon didn't know that Klaus was in his room? I thought.._.

"I don't know. I thought..." I furrowed my brows. "I don't know what I thought he was doing there. He came out of your bathroom, um, shirtless. I think he was wearing one of your shirts, too."

His furrowed brows lowered even more, if that was even possible, and he stared into space, remembering something.

"That was my shirt, now that I think of it," his hands grasped my shoulders, surprisingly gentle as he turned me to face him. "Did you see his shirt — the one he changed out of?"

I stared at nothing in particular, trying to remember as well. "No," I looked back to his face. "Why does this matter Damon?"

He pursed his lips. "Am I the  _only_  one who finds it  _strange_  that he's seemingly _not_  heartbroken over Chandra and Katherine's absence from the tomb? I mean, he even  _helped_  Anna and her goons to get inside."

I blinked, my mouth dropping open. "Oh my god." I said slowly. "You're right. I'd noticed that he wasn't reacting as violently as you, but I figured that he was more...broody... in private about it."

Damon worked his jaw back and forth. "Something's definitely up. Rather he knows something that we don't know or..." he scowled, and then glanced down at his hands, which were still resting firmly on my shoulders. He lifted them off quickly, averting my gaze.

"What could he possibly know that we don't? And why would he go into your bathroom to change shirts or whatever? Doesn't he have a house of his own?"

"That's what I'd like to know..." he mumbled before starting to leave.

"Y'know, I would say go ask Ric for help, but you did kill him, so I'd say that isn't the best idea." I called after him snarkily.

He winced loudly, throwing a hand over his heart. "Ouch, Blondie."

I ignored him, my mind going back to our conversation. I could be blonde sometimes, living up to my  _Blondie_ nickname, so graciously given by Damon; but I never thought I could be this blind.

Something was definitely up with Klaus. And if Damon couldn't find out, I sure as hell was going to.

 _Curiosity killed the cat_. A voice inside me reminded. _But satisfaction brought it back_. I retorted to the little voice, and smiled into the mirror one last time before heading over to put on my shoes.

Five minutes later, I heard another knock on my door. I got up to answer it.

 _Stefan._ I saw when I opened the door.

"Hi, Stefan!" I greeted, stepping back to allow him into my room. "Ready for this weird double-friendship-date thing we have going on?"

He smiled, laughing. "As ready as I could be."

It was then I noticed he had his hands behind his back. Pulling them out, I noticed he had a bouquet of wild daisies and-was that vervain?-in his hands.

"Aw, thank you!" I smiled, taking it from him. I noticed that the stems were wrapped in a damp paper towel, and after a tentative sniff, I found that yes, he had given me a vervain bouquet.

I raised a single eyebrow, meeting his eyes, which were crinkled with mirth.

"I figured it's a weird double-friendship-date, so why not? I would have driven too–" he added. "But we live in the same house."

Grinning wide, I threw my arms around his neck, giving him a hug. "Nice touch with the vervain." I chuckled puling back. "I thought Damon burned it all?"

Stefan slowly shook his head, tapping his ear and pointing to the basement.

I grinned again, grabbing my purse off my bed.

"Ready to go?"

I nodded and we walked down the stairs. "Have you even been on a double-date before?"

He chuckled, opening my car door for me. "Oh, absolutely. ' 72, Hef and the twins."

My eyes widened.  _Hugh Hefner – the Playboy Bunny guy? Seriously?_

He laughed as I managed to stutter out a "What?"

"Yeah," he laughed again at my shocked expression. "Playmates...I got Miss June."

"Stefan Salvatore, hanging out with Hugh Hefner. Suddenly it  _all_  makes sense." I teased.

"What makes sense? What?" he asked, looking a bit worried.

I shook my head. "I'm teasing, Stefan. I just can't imagine you hanging out with that  _pig_." I scrunched up my nose in disgust.

Hefner had always made me sick. It was mostly because he produced a magazine sexualizing woman's bodies for men's pleasure, but mostly because he was still old and hanging out with a bunch of scantily clad twenty year old girls.

He raised an eyebrow, but I said nothing more, not wanting to go off in a rant about how I felt on the matter.

~0~

**Third Person POV**

Jenna stood outside her brother-in-law's old office, staring at the dusty windows. She saw two people walk up behind her in the reflection, and she turned around with a smile.

"Miss Sommers?" Pearl asked, and Jenna beamed politely back.

"Yes. Hi Pearl."

"Hi," Pearl smiled in return. "This is my daughter, Annabelle."

"Of course!" Jenna looked at the familiar face. "Jeremy's friend."

"Nice to see you, Miss Sommers," Anna replied kindly, hoping to avoid any future conversation with her mother about her and Jeremy's relationship.

"Oh, Jenna please," the auburn haired lady insisted. "This property was in my brother in law's family for generations. It's one of the originals structure in Mystic Falls. It used to be one of those old fashioned drugstore thingies."

"An apothecary?" Pearl asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Yeah," Jenna nodded once, and Pearl and Anna exchanged a glance.

"You don't say," Pearl pursed her lips and Jenna turned to unlock the door.

Anna noticed Jeremy walking, and a small smile played on her lips. She was so wrapped up in watching him, she didn't even notice her mother and Jenna go inside.

"Annabelle?" she called, and Anna's gaze snapped to her mother.

"I'm coming, Mother," she replied, quickly scurrying inside.


	42. There Goes the Neighborhood : Part Two

_Previously on Everything Changes..._

" _An apothecary?" Pearl asked, raising an eyebrow._

" _Yeah." Jenna nodded once, and Pearl and Anna exchanged a glance._

" _You don't say." Pearl pursed her lips and Jenna turned to unlock the door._

_Anna noticed Jeremy walking, and a small smile played on her lips. She was so wrapped up in watching him, she didn't even notice her mother and Jenna go inside._

" _Annabelle?" she called, and Anna's gaze snapped to her mother._

" _I'm coming, Mother." she replied, quickly scurrying inside._

* * *

**Third Person POV**

Damon waltzed into the bar, sunglasses still on his face. Pearl really did a good job with that whole thumb-in-eye socket thing. He'd definitely have to use that sometime.

He scanned The Grill, and his eyes landed on a dark haired woman seated at the bar.

 _Hellooo_. He hummed slightly, smirking at his new found prospect.

Damon took a seat next to her, and he felt her head swivel to get a good look at him.

"What's with the glasses inside?" she blatantly asked, and Damon turned his head, staring at her.

She looked vaguely familiar, but he couldn't place why. Not too bad looking, a bit older for his taste – he preferred his woman in their twenties.

"My eyes were a little sensitive today," He replied smoothly, taking them off his face and tucking them into the top of his shirt.

"You're new around here," she commented, taking a sip of her double-shot.

"On the contrary, I'm very old," Damon smirked at his joke, which only he understood, of course. He gestured to the bartender, he said. "Bourbon, neat."

"I haven't been gone that long. I would remember someone who looked like you." A sly grin tugged at the corners of her mouth, and Damon chuckled.

"Yeah. Where'd you go?"

"Around, about," she said mysteriously, mimicking the vampire's smirk.

This must be Damon Salvatore. She realized. She'd heard about him before, very volatile, impulsive, dangerous, but most importantly, loyal. That'd mean it would be hard – if not impossible – for anyone to get him to betray someone he was friends with or cared about.

Damon raised his glass of bourbon, which had just been sat down in front of him, and tipped it in her direction. "I've been there." He lifted it to his lips and took a long drink.

She studied his demeanor for a second before practically purring, "I love to see a man drown his sorrows. It's so sexy."

"It's more like…nursing my wounds," he gently corrected. "And you?"

"I was supposed to be interviewing for a bar tending job, but I think the manager blew me off," she cocked her head to the side, shrugging.

"Well, that's not very nice," he murmured, and she laughed dryly.

"Yeah, last time I was in town I slept with her boyfriend."

Damon raised an eyebrow, and peered at her. "That's not very nice either."

"It happens." she shrugged.

"Yes, it does." Damon said, as if he knew from experience, and he did.

"Kelly?" a female voice explained, and Damon turned to see Jenna walking up to her. "Kelly Donovan?" she beamed widely and it clicked.

No wonder she looked so familiar, it was that Matt kid's mom.

 _Huh, why haven't I heard or seen anything about her?_  Damon wondered, and watched with interest as they hugged.

"I heard you were back in town!" Jenna beamed, and turned to Damon. "She used to babysit me," she admitted, and Damon smiled, wincing when his eyes crinkled.

"And then I used to party with her." Kelly added, giggling.

"This woman is crazy." Jenna laughed, adjusting her bag on her shoulder.

"Not as crazy as you!" Kelly shot back playfully.

Jenna placed a hand on her chest, pretending to be hurt. "I'm not anymore!"

"Well sit, drink!" Kelly invited.

Jenna inhaled, the air hissing between her teeth. "Ehh, I shouldn't. I'm more responsible now. Haven't you heard?"

"Well, take a night off! It's good for the soul." she encouraged, taking a seat.

Damon's looked at Jenna, his head propped 'drunkenly' on his hand. "Great for the soul." he mumbled, and Jenna smiled.

Taken a seat, she laughed. "I have a feeling this won't end well."

"It probably won't with Damon around." a British voice drawled, and they glanced back to see Klaus leaning against a column. "Jenna." he smiled charmingly, and his gaze moved to the dark haired woman. "You must be Kelly Donovan," he walked up the steps and took her free hand, kissing it. "Pleasure. I'm Klaus Mikaelson."

She giggled, and took a sip of her drink. "Mmm, pleasure's all mine, Klaus."

He grinned wolfishly, and looked to Damon. "Mind if I join you?"

Damon studied his 'friend'. This would be a good time to try and get into Klaus' head, or even just see if he'd let things slide when he had a few bottles of tequila in him. "Nope." he popped the p, and Kelly batted her lashes, patting the free seat.

"Please, sit down!"

He dipped his head graciously and took a seat.

"What can I get you?" the bartender came up and asked, but Klaus shook his head.

"No thanks mate, I've brought my own." he pulled out a rather large metal flask and opened it, taking a swig.

The smell of blood hit Damon's nose, and he raised an eyebrow. Was that really safe?

"Sorry, sir. I'm afraid that's not allowed here." the bartender informed, and Klaus bristled, turning towards him.

"C'mon mate, just let a man enjoy his personal drink." he murmured soothingly, compelling the bartender.

"Well, all right, but don't let my boss see you," he replied robotically, and Kelly gasped.

"Oh my God. I've known Joey for years and never, not once has he let anyone slide with anything! You really know what to say, huh?"

Klaus smirked at Damon, who was studying him with narrowed eyes.

"I guess it's just my charm, love."

~0~

**Caroline's POV**

Stefan and I finally arrived at Mystic Grill, where we had promised to meet Elena and Matt at 6 p.m.

"Thanks." I said, as Stefan had zoomed around the car to open the door for me. "What a gentleman," I grinned cheekily, and he smiled, murmuring a quiet "your welcome." in response

"I'm really sorry my friend's playing you like this," I said softly before we entered The Grill. "She used to not be like this, back before we all got 'popular'." I sneered at the word, hating what it had done to countless friendships – not all just my own.

Thousands of girls slept with their best friend's boyfriend, gotten knocked up, partied, ruined their GPAs or even changed who they were, just in hopes of being in the popular crowd. I'd been like that once, but then my mom died and I kind of just shut down for a while.

"You'll have to tell me about that Elena sometime," he responded. "Maybe I can meet her one day," he smiled tightly before opening the door.

I stepped inside, thanking him again for his gesture. "We don't have to do this, you know. We can turn around and go home right now if you want." I looked up into his green eyes, and he shook his head.

"No, Elena seemed like she wanted to try and sort things out when we discussed this. I have to at least give her some sort of chance," he insisted, and swept his hands to the side. "Lead the way."

I walked deeper into the restaurant, and spotted Elena and Matt already seated at a high table, talking.

"Hi guys"! I greeted cheerily when we got closer.

"Hey Caroline, Stefan," Matt smiled, nodding at the both of us. Elena echoed his greeting, and I took a seat next to Elena, leaving Matt's empty seat for Stefan.

I wasn't entirely sure which one he would have preferred if he could have chosen, but it didn't matter now.

After random chit-chat, a waitress came up and took our orders.

"So, Matt, how do you like working here?" I asked Matt, trying to strike up a more relevant conversation then something about the weather.

His baby blues met my blue-green eyes and he smiled. "It's not that bad. Wait staff is pretty good and they can't keep a bartender to save their lives. I actually put my mom up for a job," he laughed after that, and I knew that Ms. Donovan never was in town long enough for anything permanent like that.

"Your mom's back in town?" I asked, and he nodded.

"Yep just showed up. Don't know how long she'll be in town for," he took a drink of his Dr. Pepper.

"How has that been?" Elena asked after a drink of her water. "Having Kelly back?"

"You know," he shrugged. "Same old Kelly. She's trying, I guess."

"Kelly and my mom were best friends growing up. That's how Matt and I first met, we shared a crib together," Elena explained with a smile. "She even dated your dad for a while, Caroline! His name is Bill, right?"

"U-uh. Yeah. I-I didn't know they dated," I stuttered out, surprised by this news.

I couldn't believe Elena knew something about my dad that I didn't! I hadn't even seen a recent picture of him, or even heard from him. Last contact my mom said she had was right after I was born he called, apologizing. I knew he had short blonde hair, a tan face, and blue eyes. I'd seen a picture too, but that was from the early nineties when they were only teenagers.

"Wait, Bill?" Matt asked. "Your dad's name is Bill?"

I nodded slowly. "Yeah, why?"

"I asked my mom where'd she'd been, and she'd said something like, 'oh here and there, you know Bill'," he furrowed his brows.

"You're kidding?" Stefan asked, his eyes wide, like mine.

"No," he said seriously. "I'm pretty sure she said Bill. But it's probably just a crazy coincidence," he chuckled. "But anyways, yeah, Elena and I have known each other our whole lives."

They gazed at one another, and Elena let out a happy sigh. I rolled my eyes at Stefan, and he snickered quietly.

"Oh. My. God," I said, articulating each word. "You've got to be kidding me."

"What?" Stefan and Matt said simultaneously, and I nodded in the direction of the bar.

There sat Jenna, Kelly, Damon and Klaus, all looking a bit tipsy. They were laughing loudly, and I was surprised I didn't hear them earlier.

"Yeah," Stefan chuckled. "I noticed them when we walked in."

~0~

**Third Person POV**

Fredrick and Beth-Anne slowly crept through the house. They were sick of being trapped in here. Sure, they had television and other 21st century perks, but still, they were ready to go see how much their home had changed in the past century and a half.

"Where are you going?" Harper's normally timid and polite rang through the hallway, full of authority.

"Beth-Anne and I are going out for a bit. Hit the town, kick up our heels." Fredrick explained as simply as he could.

Harper stared at the pair. "We're not supposed to leave. Miss Pearl made that very clear."

The older vampire raised an eyebrow. "You're going to stop me? I didn't think so."

Harper sighed and watched as they walked out of the house without a backward glance.

~0~

"Don't be grumpy," Jenna laughed, her inhibitions already beginning to melt away. "It can't be  _that_  bad."

Damon shrugged. "You'd be surprised. My main reason for existence has abandoned me and after today's events, the remains of the shaky ground that I walk on are about to go kaboom." he took a drink. "Let's get hammered."

Kelly grinned, clinking glasses with everyone. "Let's!"

Klaus took a small sip of his glass, his eyes studying Damon over the rim of the glass.

The double-daters moved to the pool table to play a game of pool after they ate their meal.

"At least they're having fun," Caroline murmured to Elena, who kept sending annoyed yet worried glances to the adults.

"They're drunk," she said flatly, her gaze fixated on Jenna. Elena tightened her grip on the pool cue in irritation.

"Ah, let Jenna have some fun!" Matt nudged Elena with his hip and she moved her gaze to her current boyfriend.

"Remember when Elena's parents busted us all here after homecoming?" Matt changed the subject, laughing at Caroline's mortified expression. That had been only her third time drinking, and she was a bit of a lightweight. She remembered flashes of the night, Mr. and Mrs. Gilbert's shocked faces were one of them.

"Oh my God, yes"! Elena laughed so hard she was cackling. "We were wasted!"

Over at the bar, Klaus and Damon met gazes, having heard Elena's cackling. They turned their attention to the group, as Kelly and Jenna were busy telling stories.

Caroline nodded, mirth crinkling her eyes. "I still blame Matt."

Stefan was clearly lost, looking from the girls over to Matt, hoping they'd explain.

"Her parents got seated to the booth next to us," Caroline explained, smiling faintly.

Stefan raised an eyebrow, and Elena and Matt jumped into story mode, reliving the memory.

"I had Elena pretend she was choking so we could get away," Matt explained.

"But Elena's dad's a doctor so he jumped up to save her," Caroline continued, shaking her head.

"Caroline just had to slip on the wet floor. She bit it in front of everyone! Do you remember that, Care?" Elena snickered. "Three stitches, a nasty scar on the back of her head, and a hangover for days."

Stefan forced a smile onto his face. He'd heard from Zach that Caroline had been a bit of a wild animal right before her mom died, but he hadn't heard this story before.

"My dad caught us, and I was grounded from seeing this one for a week!"

Caroline seemed to be a bit embarrassed that Elena had brought up her fall, but she chuckled along with the others.

Damon smirked at the end of the story, and his eyes met Klaus, who also had a grin plastered on his face.

Caroline was headed to the bathroom when Jenna groaned.

"Hide. We're not here." she rubbed her face, and Kelly raised an eyebrow.

"Why? Where'd we go?"

"Children under our care, five o'clock," a guilty look passed over her face. "This is not good."

Kelly turned her head a little, and cursed. "Damn!"

~0~

**Caroline's POV**

I felt a blush color my cheeks and I chuckled again. "Okay. I'm gonna head to the restroom." I wiped my palms on my jeans, and put my pool cue down. "Elena, you have to go?"

She nodded her head, and said something else softly to Stefan, who pressed his lips together, hiding a smile. I headed towards the bathroom, somehow finding myself making intense eye contact with both Damon and Klaus whom were both staring at me curiously.

~0~

**Third Person POV**

"Is there anything you aren't good at?" Matt asked.

Stefan chuckled and took his turn, sinking a striped ball into the far pocket. "Double dating with a girl who's practically my little sister," he went again, missing this time. "This is all kind of new to me," he admitted. "I usually keep to myself, I don't always fit in."

"That's because you're that guy," Matt said, and Stefan cocked his head to the side.

"What guy?"

"The guy who seems like he has everything, so the people that don't, kind of run the other way." he explained, trying not to sound offensive.

"Is that what I seem like?" Stefan questioned, watching Matt carefully.

He laughed dryly. "Pretty much."

"Hmm..." he mumbled. "What a dick!"

Matt grinned, happy he hadn't offended Stefan. "Yeah."

Meanwhile in the restroom, Caroline was washing her hands, whilst Elena was fixing her makeup in the mirror next to her.

"So, um," Caroline stated. "What are you doing?"

"What?" she raised an arched eyebrow, peering at her friend in the mirror. "What are you talking about?"

"Isn't the point of this whole thing to show Stefan how much you care about Matt? To try to get him to move on?"

"What, are we hopscotching down memory lane too much for you?" She queried in a monotone voice, staring at her.

"I-" Caroline started to say, and Elena rolled her eyes. "Whatever. I'm going back to the guys."

Elena stormed out of the restroom, leaving Caroline behind.

The blonde shut off the water, letting her hands drip into the sink. She scoffed, irritated with the whole situation. Ripping a paper towel out of the dispenser, she dried her hands and threw it into the trash.

Leaning over the sink, she frowned, her forehead creasing deeply.

She huffed out once more before leaving the bathroom.

Walking down the rows, towards the table, a man caught her by the arm.

~0~

**Caroline's POV**

"Chandra?"

I stopped in my tracks, staring at the man.

"I'm sorry," I said nervously. "You have the wrong person."

He stared at me for a long moment. "My mistake," he let me go, and I went back to the pool table, feeling the man's eyes on my back.

"Matt's cheating," Stefan playfully complained when I arrived.

Matt grinned, laughing softly. "No need, I'm awesome."

I forced a smile onto my face, and I felt Stefan gaze at me curiously. "Everything's okay?" he glanced from me to Elena, who had stormed back early.

"Yep," I turned to face him but mouthed.  _I need to talk to you. Chandra._

His eyes widened, but he nodded slightly.

We finished our game of pool, and then decided to head back to the Salvatore House to hang out for a while.

In the car, I filled Stefan in on the man who had thought I was Chandra at the raffle, and on the man who grabbed my arm tonight, also calling me Chandra.

"You're just now telling me this?" he asked in disbelief about the first incident.

"I'm sorry!" I responded, parking in my usual space outside the Boarding House. "I didn't want to add to the ever growing pile!"

"The pile of  _what_  Caroline?" he growled, and I could tell he was getting angry. "You didn't think this was important enough to tell me – or anyone about? You're just as important to me as Elena!"

I flinched slightly, rubbing my forehead. "I thought- I-" I sighed. "Just with all the Elena-Matt drama, with Ric dying, Chandra and Katherine missing from the tomb, Isobel messing around...I just didn't want to give you anything else to worry about."

He turned to glare out the window. "I thought we were closer, whatever happened to being open with one another? Y'know, like when we first met?"

I didn't answer, and he looked back to me. Seeing my wounded and nervous expression, he sighed.

"So you didn't recognize him? You haven't seen him before?" He asked, and I shook my head, pursing my lips in thought.

"No, there was nothing familiar at all." I described the first and second people to Stefan.

"Hm. Why don't we call it a night?" he asked. "Send Matt and Elena home?"

I gnawed on my lip. "No, the whole point of this night was to have a normal night – to not deal with this stuff. Look, this'll still be here tomorrow, can't we deal with it then?"

He exhaled slowly. "You're sure?"

"No." I said slowly. "I'm not sure. But I don't know what else to do. We have to get through one normal night, at least."

He smiled slightly. "Okay. If it gets worse, I'm going to tell Klaus about it."

"Klaus?" I repeated dumbly. "Why him?" I fidgeted in my seat. "Why would he care?"

"You really can be blonde sometimes," he stared at me, raising his thick eyebrows. "Your resemblance to Chandra."

I opened my mouth to respond, but Matt and Elena pulled in behind us.

"It's them," I announced, not wanting to dive into  _that_  conversation anytime soon.

He nodded, unbuckling.

"Wait," I stopped him.

He paused, turning to look at me. "Thanks for doing this with me, it hasn't been too awkward, right?"

Stefan smiled, shaking his head. "It was weird at first, but you're easy to be around, Care."

I blushed slightly, a small smile forming on my face. "Thanks."

We climbed out of the car, greeted the other couple and went inside.

We chit-chatted about how weird it was seeing Damon and Kelly flirting, and then Elena asked. "Do you want to watch a movie or something?"

"Woah!" Matt suddenly explained, and we all turned to see him peering at Stefan's massive miniature car collection. "These are great!"

Stefan scratched back of his neck and smiled. "This is uh...a little hobby of mine."

"I did the entire Mustang series when I was 9," Matt shared, and Stefan smiled.

"You like cars?"

"That's an understatement," Elena grinned.

"Come with me," he said, and went outside. We all trailed behind him, and Elena shot me a questioning look, as if she expected me to know where Stefan was going.

I shrugged, and continued around the building.

~0~

**Third Person POV**

"So, the thing about cherries, you have to..." Damon flirted, and Kelly shushed him, placing a finger on his lips.

She put a cherry in between her teeth, smirking devilishly.

"Oh my goodness," Damon groaned slightly, and leaned forward, taking the cherry out of her mouth with his mouth. "That's amazing, you were fast."

"That would be my queue to leave," Jenna said awkwardly, looking to Klaus, who seemed to be in his own little world.

Klaus was hunched over, the bar, silent other than the quiet clink of the glass when he set his drink down onto the table.

"See you two new-found lovebirds later," Jenna saluted with two fingers, grabbed her purse, and left.

~0~

**Caroline's POV**

Stefan walked around the side of the Boarding House, shining a flashlight through the darkness.

He pulled open a small garage I hadn't noticed before, and pulled a string hanging from the ceiling.

"Prepare yourself, my friend." he said as the light came on. He pulled a tarp off a car, and Matt let out a gasp.

"Woah, how do you have this?" he asked, and Stefan shrugged.

"Got passed down through the family," he opened the car door, looking inside.

"Why don't you… I mean… Why don't you drive it?" Matt asked, still staring at the little red car.

"Well, it doesn't run. I mean, it's not that I could figure out," he explained, shutting the car door.

Elena broke the silence. "Why would you keep a car that doesn't run?"

"Be more of a girl right now?" Matt chuckled, and I rolled my eyes at her question, laughing along with him.

"Hey, want to come take a look at this for me?" Stefan asked Matt, popping open the short hood.

"Elena, remember the old Camaro your dad used to have?" Matt asked from behind the hood.

"Of course!" she replied.

I leaned against the garage door entrance, watching the guys talk and gesture quietly to the parts of the engine.

"I built and rebuilt that engine 20 times," he murmured, and Stefan raised an eyebrow.

"Wow."

"I don't like sports cars; they're too hard to make out in," Elena stated, playing with the end of her hair.

"It wasn't that bad," Matt mumbled, glancing at Elena, who blinked and left the garage awkwardly. I trailed after her, shooting a glance at the boys.

"Alright, let's take a look at this bad boy," I heard Matt's voice drift outside. I ran after Elena, whose figure was already going around the side of the house.

~0~

**Third Person POV**

Jenna stumbled outside the Grill, a loud snap being heard when one of her heels broke.

She grumbled under her breath, and a tall man, the one who had caught Caroline's arm earlier – Frederick – looked at her.

"Need some help?"

She shook her head, stumbling again. "Stupid shoe," she snarled, and he walked over to her.

"Pick up your other foot."

Taking her shoe off her foot, he snapped the other heel off, and handed it back. "Here you go."

"Thank you. I think," she put both feet into the broken shoes and hobbled along.

"Was that Damon Salvatore and Klaus Mikaelson you were with?" he questioned, and she nodded.

"If you wanted to see me, mate, you could've just asked." Klaus sauntered outside, and whistled loudly for a cab, which had just dropped someone off across the street.

"He still live out by Miller Lane?" Frederick asked Jenna, ignoring Klaus' presence.

"Nope!" Jenna informed, popping the p. "He lives in the old boarding house by Wickery Bridge. He's still in there if you wanna say hi." she jerked her thumb to the door, and Klaus was at her side in an instant, ushering her into the cab.

She had already said too much, but Damon was a big boy. He was sure he could handle his little tomb vampire problem all by himself.

~0~

**Caroline's POV**

"Elena..." I said gently as I came around the corner. She was leaning on the hood of my car, staring down the moonlit sidewalk.

"I don't want to talk about it, Caroline," she grumbled, and I huffed a heavy breath.

"You're being ridiculous."

"No, I'm not. I made this whole thing to see how Stefan would react, and he doesn't even seem to care!" she sniffled loudly. "I don't know what to even do, Care! I want him back, but I really like Matt."

I moved next to her and sighed, remembering my favorite Johnny Depp quote. "If you love two people at the same time, choose the second. Because if you really loved the first one, you wouldn't have fallen for the second." I quoted, and she was quiet for a few long moments.

I heard a car rumble and the small red car pulled into view.

"Piece of cake!" Matt grinned widely and hopped out.

I felt Elena's thoughtful eyes on me, and she smiled. "Stefan, can I ride with you in it?"

"Sure," I turned my gaze to Stefan, who was looking slightly hopeful. "And after we get back, Matt can take it for a spin."

"Really?" asked Matt excitedly.

"Yeah!" Stefan smiled back, and turned to Elena. "Ready, 'Lena?"

She bobbed her head and walked over to the passenger seat, climbing in, shooting a subconscious glance over to Matt.

He smiled at her, and as I studied his expression, I saw something sad tinge his blue eyes.

As the headlights disappeared into the darkness, I smiled at my friend. "Wanna head inside for a bit?"

He didn't respond, still staring out to the end of the driveway.

"Matt?" I said softly, touching his arm.

He jumped, turning to me. "Huh? Oh, yeah, sure Care."

We stood in the kitchen, drinking cups of hot cocoa. Christmas was just next month, and I honestly could say that I was super excited for it. Not just for the gifts and the holiday, but for the break, lights, décor, everything in general.

Stefan and Elena came back a few minutes later, both looking slightly smitten, and Elena said that she wanted to go with Matt as well, and they drove off. When they returned, Matt looked defeated, and Elena still looked torn, but I could tell she had made her decision – Stefan.

~0~

**Third Person POV**

Damon and a dark haired lady passionately made out in a drunken stupor inside a house.

Suddenly, the front door opened, casting the porch lights across the couple's face.

"Mom?!" Matt exclaimed, his eyes growing as wide as saucers as he took in Damon and Kelly.

"Oh my God, Matt! Oh my God!" Kelly was so embarrassed, she had totally forgotten about her son coming back. If she really wanted to get information for her boss, she'd definitely have to be more careful.

Damon peeled himself off of Kelly, glanced warily at Matt, and dismissed himself from the house without a word.

Mother and son held tense eye contact for a brief moment, before Matt broke away and stormed off to his room.

~0~

Back at the Boarding House, Stefan and Caroline waved goodbye to Elena, who had just backed out of the driveway and headed home. Another vampire stood in the darkness, staring at the girl whom was obviously not Chandra, and Stefan Salvatore.

Perhaps this wouldn't be as easy as he originally assumed.

Caroline and Stefan headed back inside, and found Damon laying on the couch in the parlor, his arm draped over his eyes.

"Why the long face?" Caroline asked, plopping down on the couch across from him.

He groaned, not really answering.

"Tough night?" she continued. "Didn't look so tough when you were flirting it up with Kelly Donovan." she teased, and he sat up.

Caroline immediately noticed that his hair was a mess, and his jacket was a bit crooked. She raised an eyebrow.

"You didn't-" she started, and Damon waved his hand, cutting her off.

"Save the lecture, Blondie. Look-"

A window shattered, and a man – the one who had mistaken Caroline for Chandra – jumped on Stefan, who was standing behind the couch Care was on. Fredrick shoved a shard of glass into Stefan's gut, causing him to cry out. Damon was on his feet in an instant, and hurriedly tugged Fredrick off Stefan. With a free hand, Damon shoved Caroline, who had gotten to her feet, out of the way. She stumbled, but caught herself before she could get close and personal with the hardwood floor.

Another lady arrived, who Stefan knew to be Beth-Anne. Damon and Fredrick still fought in a blur. Stefan and Beth-Anne stared one another down, before Stefan jumped into attack her. Caroline watched with wide eyes as the vampires rolled around on the ground, their bodies moving at their supernatural speed. The next thing she knew, Beth-Anna was on the floor, dead, and Fredrick froze, staring at the girl.

His gaze jerked from Stefan and Damon, to Caroline, who swallowed, nervously taking a step back.

Fredrick fled the scene, leaving the three by themselves.

"Damn it," Damon growled, looking around the parlor, which was honestly a mess.

"They were in the tomb," Caroline mumbled, staring down at the gray vein-y face of the once-alive vampire.

"Yeah...about that," Stefan and Damon gazed at each other for a long time.

~0~

At the Gilbert house, Jeremy sat in his room, staring at Anna.

"Because if it was true, maybe it's true about Vicki. And also because... I want you to turn me," he said quietly, and Anna's eyes widened.

 


	43. Let the Right One In : Part One

_Previously on Everything Changes..._

_"Tough night?" she continued. "Didn't look so tough when you were flirting it up with Kelly Donovan." she teased, and he sat up._

_Caroline immediately noticed that his hair was a mess, and his jacket was a bit crooked. She raised an eyebrow._

_"You didn't-" she started, and Damon waved his hand, cutting her off._

_"Save the lecture, Blondie. Look-"_

_A window shattered, and a man – the one who had mistaken Caroline for Chandra – jumped on Stefan, who was standing behind the couch Care was on. Fredrick shoved a shard of glass into Stefan's gut, causing him to cry out. Damon was on his feet in an instant, and hurriedly tugged Fredrick off Stefan. With a free hand, Damon shoved Caroline, who had gotten to her feet, out of the way. She stumbled, but caught herself before she could get close and personal with the hardwood floor._

_Another lady arrived, who Stefan knew to be Beth-Anne. Damon and Fredrick still fought in a blur. Stefan and Beth-Anne stared one another down, before Stefan jumped into attack her. Caroline watched with wide eyes as the vampires rolled around on the ground, their bodies moving at their supernatural speed. The next thing she knew, Beth-Anna was on the floor, dead, and Fredrick froze, staring at the girl._

_His gaze jerked from Stefan and Damon, to Caroline, who swallowed, nervously taking a step back._

_Fredrick fled the scene, leaving the three by themselves._

_"Damn it," Damon growled, looking around the parlor, which was honestly a mess._

_"They were in the tomb," Caroline mumbled, staring down at the gray vein-y face of the once-alive vampire._

_"Yeah...about that," Stefan and Damon gazed at each other for a long time._

* * *

**Caroline's POV**

I snuggled deeper into the leather couch as the breeze from the damaged window drifted inside.

"Yeah, yeah, Blondie. I'm boarding it up now." Damon mumbled, noticing my shiver.

I raised a blonde eyebrow. "I didn't say anything, Damon."

He didn't respond, simply started the process of attaching three long boards over the hole.

"I say we go to Pearl's." Damon said while he was positioning a long nail. "Bust down the door, and annihilate the idiot that attacked us."

"Yeah, and then what?" Stefan retorted, raising his voice to be heard over the steady boom of the hammer. "We turn to the rest of that house of _vampires_  and say, ' _Oops, sorry_?'"

I smiled wryly, agreeing with Stefan.

"I still can't understand what made you make a deal with her."

Glancing over his shoulder, Damonshrugged. "Eh, more like a...helpful exchange of information." More hammering. "It's not like I had a choice. She's...scary. Besides, she's gonna help me get Chandra back," he jutted his eyebrows up into his hairline, smirking.

I shot Stefan a wary gaze.  _I thought we were over this already_. "Of course she is. How convenient for her to just happen upon this information." I rolled my eyes. "Pardon me if I'm wrong, but hasn't she been locked in that tomb for 160 plusyears?"

"Ooo." Damon finished with the last board. "Snarky."

"I just recently discovered that all the vampires are roaming around in my town. I think it's all right if I'm 'snarky', Damon."

"How long are you going to blame me for killing Alaric, Blondie?"

I pressed my lips firmly together, feeling my blood boil.

_Don't give him this power over you, Care._

I pushed my hand through my hair, meeting his blank stare.

"I'm not blaming you for anything. Blaming implies that I'm assigning responsibility for his death. You did it, and there's no ifs, ands, or maybes about it. I've accepted the fact you're a self-serving sociopath with absolutely no redeemable qualities."

He mocked winced. "Ouch. Cranky, are we?"

"This isn't being very productive. We need to figure out a way to deal with Pearl and the others, yeah?"

I grumbled under my breath, standing up. "I'm going to bed. You two have fun with that."

~0~

A loud clack woke me from my deep slumber.

Eyes fluttering open, I groggily looked around the room, trying to determine what had awoken me. After a few moments, I realized my window had blown open. Pulling myself out of bed, I trudged over to the window, shivering when I was hit with the chilly breeze and small drops of rain.

As much as I loved rain, I didn't like driving in it – or going to school in it. I would much rather sit on a balcony or front porch with a cup of cocoa in hand, my favorite blanket draped across my legs.

I stared outside for a second, feeling a strange sense of unease, before shutting the window and heading back to my warm bed.

**Third Person POV**

A dark figure stood outside the Salvatore Boarding House, staring up at the blonde's figure standing in the window. His hair was slicked against his skin and his jacket was damp from the rain that managed to sneak through the canopy of leaves above him.

~0~

Fredrick sat in the living room, alone. Only the mug of blood in his hand kept him company. Beth-Anne was dead, thanks to those damn Salvatores.

Pearl walked into the room, having suspected he would have pulled a stunt by now. Beth-Anne's disappearance proved her initial thought. She must be dead.

"We're running low on blood," Fredrick said, before Pearl could mention her absence. "You might want to send Anna to the hospital for some more."

"I'll send her out for some tomorrow," Pearl said, leaning over the coffee table to pick through some magazines.

"Maybe I could go with her," he murmured, studying her reaction. "If the storm keeps it dark enough, I could go out during the day, no sun and all."

She glanced over at him, looking displeased. "After your stunt at the Salvatore house? I'm afraid not."

"He and his brother deserved it," he grumbled, staring at the navy mug.

"And where did that get you? Your girlfriend Beth-Anne is dead. You have no one to blame but yourself. We cannot live our lives about revenge. We have to have better control of our emotions."

"I understand, Miss Pearl. I just wish I knew what you were up to," his dark eyes stared at the older woman. She suspected he would try something again.

"I plan on making exploratory visits into town to assess who's under the influence of vervain, and who isn't. Anna tells me that the players haven't changed much. It's still the Lockwoods, the Gilberts, the Fells, the Forbes..."

"We should just kill every last one of them," he growled, causing Pearl to raise a brow.

"We're smarter than that, Fredrick. These people aren't our enemies. We don't hold grudges and resentments. We'll get our town back. We just have to have patience." She left the room, signaling the discussion was over. Fredrick frowned deeply before pulling a wooden stake from his jacket.

"You heard her," he said to the others who had entered the room. "No revenge. Patience. Self-control. She seems to have it all figured out, doesn't she?" he said sarcastically, dragging a pocket knife down the stake to sharpen it.

~0~

The next evening, at the Grill, Caroline was settled at her usual booth in the middle of the restaurant, a book in hand. She was waiting for the to-go order she had promised she would take to Uncle Zach for dinner. He was working the graveyard shift at Salvatore Lumber & Co. Normally she would just have to go down the street to deliver it, but he had to go to their sister company in the next town over.

Matt walked over to Caroline, who he noticed had been there for a while.

"Hey Care, I brought your order," he smiled down at her, holding up a brown bag. "Mind if I sit?"

She glanced up from her book,  _In Cold Blood_ , and shut it eagerly.

"Thanks; and please do; I really don't want to read this anymore."

He chuckled lightly, sliding into the booth across from her. Matt sat the container down on the table, pushing it out of his way.

"I yelled at my mom last night," he admitted, his baby blue eyes looking guilty. "You know, I feel like the parent screaming at the screwed up kid."

Caroline smiled sympathetically.

"Well, maybe she needed to hear it. She was with  _Damon_ , after all," she scrunched up her nose at the thought of Damon with Kelly, of all people.

"Yeah..." he halfheartedly agreed. "I just...I worry, y'know, maybe she'll take off again. That's her M.O. She's just like Vicky, who I haven't heard from since she left." A guilty pang struck in Caroline's chest, and she took a sip of her cold water.

"You can't control your mom, Matt," she paused, nibbling on her lip. "No more than you could – er, can – control your sister."

Thunder rumbled outside, and Caroline scrunched up her nose.

"I wish that she'd at least try, even if it is just a little bit. Even just trying to try would be okay with me..."

The lights flickered, and Caroline glanced up.

"Maybe she'll surprise you. People tend to do that." She slid out of her booth, tossing down a five to pay for her snack and drink. "I better get going, before the roads get even worse from the storm."

Shouldering her bag, Matt got to his feet as well.

"Yeah," he looked out the tinted window at the rainy streets. "Sure you should be driving in this, right now?"

She nodded. "I promised Zach I would bring him his dinner."

"Okay. Well you know the drill. Buckle up, don't speed, etc etc." He said jokingly, but deep down, he was actually serious.

"I know, I know, my mom was Sheriff for a while, remember?"

Matt's joking expression grew somber and he smiled tightly. "Yep. See you later, Care."

"Bye!" she gave him a quick, one armed hug before leaving.

**Caroline's POV**

The storm had already washed out Hwy 55, the route Zach usually took when heading to work, and my GPS had detoured me on this random backwoods path to hell. Of course this meant I had to drive slower, which also meant it was already dusk.

 _Just dandy_. I thought.

My lights shone through the dark woods, lighting up even more poorly paved road.

Again I wondered,  _how long is this 'detour' anyways?_  Zach's burger was no longer filling my car with its delicious scent. All I could smell now was just a faint odor of food.

My phone rang, and I coasted to a stop. Not like I could get much farther anyways. The road was crazy muddy, and I knew it would be a matter of time before I got stuck or something else ridiculous happen to me.

I fished it out of the cup holder, and answered it.

"Hey Zach, sorry it's taking so long."

" _Where are you? Are you alright?_ " his static-y reply came.

"I can barely hear you!" I said over the thundering of the rain against my car. "I'm on some random back road, headed your way!"

" _You're breaking up! Don't – it – just – back._ " Zach responded, his voice fading out every few words.

I strained to understand, but wasn't able to, and suddenly the call was dropped.

"Dammit!" I groaned, sliding my car back into drive. I stepped lightly on the gas, and wanted to scream when it didn't move.

Getting out of the car, I gingerly picked my way through the mud; my hair and clothes soaked the minute I stepped foot outside my metal shelter.

My back wheels were in deep mud puddles, the bottom half of my tread covered by the milky brown.

I scrambled back into my car, shivering.

The rain continued to hammer down, and I bumped up my heat, deciding to turn the key so I wouldn't waste gas. Not like I could go anywhere...

I must have dozed off, because the next thing I know, someone is knocking on my window.

I glanced up to see...  _Kelly Donovan...?_

 _Kelly?_ A look of confusion passed over my face before she seemed to realize I was awake.

She held a jacket above her head, and she waved.

I unlocked the doors and she went around the front, getting in to the passenger side.

"Caroline Forbes!" She exclaimed with a small smile. "I was wondering who was holding up the road!"

I smiled slightly, nodding. "I'm stuck."

"I can see that, honey. Want me to give you a ride back into town? I have Matty's truck..."

Glancing into my rear-view, I saw this to be correct. I also noticed it was almost 9 pm, and I'd talked to Zach almost two hours ago.

"Yes, please."

"Well, alright, get your stuff and c'mon." she hopped out of my car, shutting the door behind her.

Turning around, I gathered my things and took my keys out of the ignition. With a side-long glance at the bag, my stomach rumbled.

 _Food is food_. I decided, shoving it into my backpack before climbing out into the light drizzle.

I locked my car and jogged through the mud to Matt's truck.

"You live at the Salvatore Boarding House now, right?" Kelly asked. We had finally made it back to the main road.

"Yep." I bobbed my head and she looked at me for a second. "How're they taking care of you?"

I thought of Zach, and grinned slightly. "Pretty good. Zach's my godfather and we get along."

Her lips turned upwards, but that's the only part of her face that seemed to smile.

"That's good."

The rest of the ride was kind of an awkward silence. Once she dropped me off at the Boarding House, I thanked her and scurried inside, soaking wet.

"Where've you been?" Damon demanded when I entered, flashing in front of me.

I sighed, motioning to my wet clothes. "I'm cold and tired Damon. I got stuck on some damn backwoods road to hell."

"Have you talked to Stefan, seen him even?" he continued, not even hearing what I said.

"No." I went over to the hall table and set my purse and backpack down underneath it. Fishing out the bag, I searched through it to find something that was still edible. "Why?"

"He went out in the woods this afternoon and hasn't came back. I can't get a hold of him on his phone, so I figured he was with you or Elena."

I frowned, pulling my phone out of my pocket and calling him. It went straight to voice-mail after a single ring.

"Maybe he just wanted some alone time?" I suggested. "God knows I would kill for some to get away from you." I added as an afterthought.

"Ouch. Wounded again." he held the back of his hand to his forehead sarcastically. "Stefan likes his alone time, but he likes  _Elena_  time even more." Damon pointed out. "If he's not back by tomorrow, I think I know where he might be..."

I stared at Damon, who was staring at the boarded up window.

"I have faith he's fine." I said, mostly for my own benefit.

Damon called his brother's cell again, before groaning. "I'm calling Klaus."

"And... that's my cue to leave." I said, popping the mint I'd found in the bag into my mouth.

He rolled his eyes at me and I headed upstairs.

~0~

 **Third Person POV**  
The next afternoon, around one p.m., Damon and Caroline headed to where Pearl and her vampires were staying.

Banging on the front door, he yelled, "Pearl! Open this door! I swear to God I'll bust through and rip your head off."

A movement later, the door swung open, and a smug looking Frederick stood behind the threshold.

"Pearl's not home, Damon. Hmm. Beautiful weather. Not a ray of sun in the sky. I see you brought a snack."

Frederick's dull eyes stared at Caroline, whom was sitting in the passenger seat, staring up at the house.

Meanwhile, Caroline felt the older vampire stare at her, and looked away uncomfortably. She really hoped Stefan wasn't here like Damon suspected.

"Where's my brother?" Damon retorted tightly, ignoring the quip about Caroline.

"Billy," He called over his shoulder, a devilish grin present on his lips.

Two vampires dragged Stefan into the hallway, right in Damon's view.

His fist collided against the barrier and he snarled. "You're dead."

"Whoa, I'm sorry.  _You_  haven't been invited in." he smirked. "Miss Gibbons?" Frederick stared into her eyes. "Never let this bad man in," he compelled her.

"I'll never let him in," she replied in a dreamy tone.

Stefan groaned, his body hanging slack in the two vampire's grip.

"145 years left starving in a tomb, thanks to Chandra and Katherine's infatuation with the two of you," he turned up his nose in disgust. "First few weeks without blood, every single nerve in your body screams with fire. The pain can drive you mad...I figured your brother might want to get a taste of that before I kill him." He glanced over his shoulder at Stefan. "Billy," he called again, and Billy stabbed Stefan with a long wooden stake. "You have a nice day now."

While this was all going on, Elena pulled up behind Damon's car, out of view from the house, and ran up to the driver's side window, furiously knocking on it. Caroline glanced up, mentally cursing.

_How'd she find out we were here?_

"What happened? Where is he?" Elena slid into the driver seat, staring at Caroline expectantly.

"I don't know, Elena," she said in annoyance. "I'm down here, and he's up there."

Her friend huffed in annoyance, and after a moment Damon walked down the hill. Caroline climbed out, while Elena simply scooted over to the passenger side, rolling down the window so she could hear.

"I was right," Damon said, not yet seeing Elena. "They have him," he saw Elena and he growled, "Dammit, how'd she get here?" he asked, directing the question to Caroline.

"Beats me." she shrugged.

"Why don't you get Stefan?" Elena asked, ignoring the question.

"I can't get in, Elena. I'm not invited." Damon replied, sounding as if he was talking to a child.

She snorted in frustration.

"I can get in!" Her face lit up, and she started to open the door, but Damon looked at Care pointedly. Her hand darted out, and she shut the door.

"You're not going in there, Elena." Damon murmured dangerously low, staring at Elena.

Caroline waited for Damon to add something about her not going in either, but it never came.

_If Damon can't get in, then I'll have to. I'm strong enough._

"I'm-" The brunette started.

"No, Elena. You aren't," Damon said firmly again.

"Why are they even doing this? What do they want with him?" Caroline asked. In a way, she already knew the answer.

"Revenge," An annoyingly familiar voice said, and Klaus walked around the back of Damon's car. "They want revenge."

"Oh, so now he decides to do the right thing." Caroline grumbled under her breath, remembering how he'd been working with Anna to get into the tomb.

 _Never even got an apology._  She recalled glumly.

"I heard that, love," Klaus smirked arrogantly at her, and she resisted the overwhelming urge to shove her fist in his face.

"We gotta do something," Caroline said instead. "It's Stefan we're talking about. He'd do something if it was you, Damon. Or even one of us!" She looked at Elena, and then motioned to herself.

The elder Salvatore's brow furrowed, and he looked down, knowing she was right. "I know, Blondie."

"We can't let them hurt him! We gotta get him outta there!" Elena tried to open the door again, but she pushed it shut once more. "Caroline!" she growled. "Let me out!"

"I know, Elena. I know. But I don't know how to get him out of there," Damon said, still looking conflicted.

"Why doesn't Caroline have to be in the car too?" Elena wondered aloud in a whiny tone.

"Because." Damon replied condescendingly. "She's not trying to fly off the handle like you are."

Caroline swallowed, and looked up at the house, feeling a bit awkward. Before all of this vampire stuff happened, she would have probably been in the car, and Elena would have been out in the open, staring in at her.

"But, Damon!" She protested before noticing his stubborn expression. She growled and crossed her arms, turning away.

Elena knew fighting with Damon would end up with them both just talking in circles.

Meanwhile, in the basement of the house, Frederick and two of his goons were tying up Stefan. Vervain ropes, vervain eye drops, and even slicing a knife across the young Salvatore's chest.

Stefan was screaming in pain, and Klaus and Damon could hear it, but made no movement to show they did.

Another vampire, Harper, came into the basement.

"This isn't right!" He stared hard at Stefan, whom he felt no hatred towards.

"He killed Beth-Anne," Frederick said, like that justified his actions. "One of us, Harper. And don't you think for a second he wouldn't kill you if he had the chance. Pearl says we're not here for revenge, right? I say that's exactly what we're here for."

He drug the tip of the blade across Stefan's chest again.

He screamed in agony, writing in his bonds.

"And then his brother, and anyone else that gets in our way. Vampire or not." His dark eyes twinkled in the dim light.

"This isn't right!" Harper darted forward, gripping his fingers into Frederick's jacket.

"You're going to want to let go of me now," He growled dangerously.

"Miss Pearl will be home soon," Harper said in return.

" _Miss Pearl_ ," He sneered. "Is no longer in charge. Tie him up! And then stake him down."

The two cars that were once at the end of Ms. Gibbons' driveway were now gone. Damon, Klaus, Elena and Caroline had decided to go to Alaric for help.

~0~

It was the end of the day, and a few students were still milling the halls, chatting.

Damon and Klaus stood behind the wall, listening for Alaric's footsteps. Once the last of the teens cleared out, they walked around the corner, a smirk plastered on Damon's face.

"Well, don't you look...alive?"

Alaric stiffened, and stopped in his tracks. "You can't hurt me," he stated and Damon rolled his eyes.

"Oh, I can hurt you all right."

Caroline heard Damon's threat and sighed. Coming around the corner, she smiled weakly Ric.

"Alaric. We need your help."

He contemplated her request for a moment, before leading the three of them into the classroom to talk.

**Caroline's POV**

I went back to get Elena before joining Damon and Klaus in Alaric's classroom.

Damon explained to Alaric what was going on, but it was taking much too long.

"Stefan's in the house," I summed up. "Damon and Klaus are vampires, and thus they can't get in. We need you, Ric." I stared earnestly at my teacher. "I would go, but..." It was when I trailed off that Elena seemed to suddenly think of something.

"Wait! Klaus! Why don't you try to get in?"

"Not invited in, love." he replied smoothly. "Pearl and Frederick both know that Damon and I are friends. And Stefan and I were friends at one point as well. It would be too easy for them to figure out that I'm helping you."

"Yeah, not possible." Damon nodded, shooting down the idea as well. "Plus, Blondie's life is valuable," Damon finished, looking at me. "Yours, on the other hand..." he shrugged at Alaric.

"Stefan told me about your ring," Elena added.

"What about it?" He feigned confusion.

Alaric had willingly explained the ring to me after Damon had killed him, but he hadn't told anyone else other than Stefan, and Damon must have figured out on his own. Klaus was the only one left in the dark, and that much was evident by the confused look on his face.

"Let me recap," Damon said. "You tried to kill me. I defended myself. You died. Then, according to my brother, your magical ring brought you back to life. Am I leaving anything out?" He looked to Alaric, to me, and then to Klaus.

Klaus looked interested, his eyes locked onto the ring on the teacher's hand.

"Yeah," Ric said dangerously, staring at Damon with hatred. "The part where I try and kill you again. Only this time, I don't miss."

Ric stepped forward, and I quickly stood between the arguing 'alpha males'.

"Mr. Saltzman." I pleaded, getting formal. "Please. Stefan's never done anything to harm you..."

"I'm sorry, Caroline, Elena." he said, stepping back. "It's not my problem."

Klaus hummed lowly. "Ah, what a shame. The woman in charge of the crowd can help you find your wife."

Elena's eyes widened.

"You're lying!" Alaric obviously didn't buy the act, and he looked to Elena for conformation.

She couldn't offer any.

"Am I, mate?" He grinned wolfishly. "Why don't you ask her yourself? Coward." He turned to us. "C'mon, Caroline."

We started to leave, and just as we were out the door, he huffed.

"Alright! Wait, I'll go."

**Third Person POV**

Jeremy and Anna sat at the library, discussing vampirism.

"A pity turn?" She exclaimed after Jeremy tried to convince her to turn him. "I don't think so."

"You should turn me because I don't have anything else..." He continued, and she shook her head.

"Do you even know why we turn other people? It's not to give someone a one-way ticket out of loner-hood. Ok? One – we need someone to do our dirty work. Two, revenge. Three, boredom... but, you know, that never turns out well. And then you know there's the obvious one. You love someone so much that you would do anything to spend all of eternity with them. Ahem. I'm sorry, but you don't fit any of those categories yet." She stopped mid rant as her mother entered the Grill. "So, yeah, just make sure your thesis is clear, and she'll love it. See you later," she quickly said, leaving.

Jeremy sighed, his phone beeping a second later.

Anna had texting him, explaining why she had taken off so fast.

Pearl and Anna went over to Mayor Lockwood, who was clearly checking out Pearl with interest.

Tyler got up and left to play pool, clearly annoyed by his father's actions.

~0~

Back at the school, Alaric pulled a duffel bag out of a locked cabinet. Caroline had always wondered what he kept in there, all locked up.

"Teacher by day, vampire hunter by night," Damon said. "Nice."

"I've you to thank for that," Alaric grunted with the weight of the bag, setting it down on his desk.

Damon didn't respond simply stared down at the black duffel.

"What are these?" Elena grabbed a long cylinder with a cap on one end. It was about the size of a Epi Pen, with a needle just as long, if not thicker.

Caroline stared curiously over her shoulder at the object.

"Those are tranquilizer darts filled with vervain, be careful," Ric explained, taking it from her gently.

"Just get me in. I'll get Stefan out," Damon said to Ric, and Caroline raised an eyebrow.

"That's your plan, Damon? Seriously? Just gonna go in there and take them all out on your own?"

Klaus chuckled. "Of course not, love. I'm going to go with him."

"Well, we're going to be a  _little_  stealthier than that, hopefully." Damon took a couple of stakes and vervain darts, twirling them in his hands.

He smirked at Caroline, who turned slightly pink. She was not aware of this, but Damon was, and it only made his smirk grow.

Elena reached again for one of the vervain darts.

"Woah, what are you doing?" Ric asked her, looking confused.

"I'm going with you guys!" She said like it was already decided.

**Caroline's POV**

"No. No. No. No. No way," Damon said incredulously, then swung to look at me. "That goes for you too, Blondie."

I blinked innocently, although by this point, I had already slipped a wooden stake into my pocket. Klaus may have seen me, but if he did, he made no point to say anything.

"You need me!" Elena protested. "I'll get in. You can distract them, and I'll get Stefan out!"

"You'll get yourself killed, Elena. You aren't going in there," Damon said seriously, shaking his head.

""Lena," I laid a hand on her arm, gently. "You can stay out in the car with me. We'll be more efficient outside."

"Outside?!" I heard Ric mumble to himself.

Damon echoed his disbelief, but when I shot him a very stubborn glance, he shut up.

"I'm going, Caroline," She pushed again, and Damon rolled his eyes, ignoring her.

"So," he said to Klaus and Ric. "When you get me in, get out as quick as possible. I know how to sneak around where they can't hearme. You'll basically be in the way."

"Now is  _not_  the time to be the Lone Ranger, Damon."

I pushed my hand through my hair nervously.

_This could end badly in so many different ways._

Damon exhaled harshly. "Fine. Elena, you and Blondie can drive the getaway car. Neither of you are going into that house."

"You can't stop me..." Elena grumbled childishly, and I rolled my eyes in annoyance. "Stefan is... _extremely_  important to me. You couldn't possibly understand."

"Oh, I understand," Damon said sarcastically. "He's the reason you live. His love lifts you up where you belong. I get it."

"Can you just not joke around for two seconds?!" she scowled, crossing her arms across her chest.

"Elena." I touched her arm and she turned to glance at me. "They can't protect you in there. You and I both know that neither of us stand a chance against however many vampires are in that house."

She didn't look persuaded so Klaus spoke up.

He snapped his fingers. "That's how long it takes for you to get your head ripped off, love. Damon and I need to get in and out, without being worried about anyone's safety."

Elena sighed submissively, agreeing.

"This would end up in a bloodbath none of us can walk away from. Including Stefan. I get it. I understand." Damon said, acting uncharacteristically gentle.

Ric glanced at his watch. "Guys, if we're gonna go, then let's go."


	44. Let the Right One In : Part Two

_Previously on Everything Changes..._

_He snapped his fingers. "That's how long it takes for you to get your head ripped off, love. Damon has to get in and out, without being worried about anyone's safety."_

_Elena sighed submissively, agreeing._

_"This would end up in a bloodbath none of us can walk away from. Including Stefan. I get it. I understand." Damon said, acting uncharacteristically gentle._

_Ric glanced at his watch. "Guys, if we're gonna go, then let's go."_

* * *

**Third Person POV**

The slow beats of a heart stood out despite the pouring rain. Frederick paused, listening.

A moment later, someone knocked on the front door.

"Oh, good, someone's home." A tall man with brown hair and tanned skin stood at the door, smiling awkwardly. "Uh, could I use your phone? My car broke down a few miles up the road. This was the first house I saw." The man stared at Frederick kindly, seemingly oblivious to the dangerous vampire standing in front of him.

"Well, lucky you," Frederick replied smoothly, studying the man. Something about him was strange.

Perhaps it was just humans in this century...

"Yeah." Laughing dryly, he glanced over the vampire's shoulder, peering curiously into the house. "Lucky me. It's no trouble, is it?"

"Not in the slightest." He stared at the human long and hard, before stepping back, allowing him inside.

"Great!" He beamed. "Whew." He entered the house. Once he was standing in the living room, the man, more commonly known as Alaric, turned to Frederick again. "Hey, man, I really appreciate it! It's rough out there."

Frederick ignored the human. Turning to Billy, he commanded, "Billy, show our visitor where the one is in the kitchen. And get me something to drink."

Billy and Frederick met eyes before Billy nodded. "Yeah, sure thing."

Billy led Alaric into the kitchen, where Miss Gibbons was standing.

"Hey, Miss Gibbons, this guy wants to use your phone." He explained, keeping up the act.

"Oh, sure, honey. It's right there," Miss Gibbons said airily, smiling at Alaric.

"Thanks." Ric bobbed his head, and wiped his hands off on his pants, before walking towards the phone.

Billy suddenly came at him with a stake, but Alaric was too quick for him, anticipating the attack.

Ric grabbed the stake from the vampire's shocked grasp, and stabbed the vampire with his own weapon.

Billy cried out in surprise.

Letting Billy fall to his knees, Alaric whirled around, turning on the faucet and starting the blender.

"What's happening?" The elderly lady asked, eyes wide.

"I'm really sorry." Ric said, and he was. "But you're gonna need to invite a friend of mine inside."

He took a hold of Miss Gibbons' bicep and led her to the side door, where Damon and Klaus were standing outside.

"Oh, I'm sorry," She said calmly, but Ric could feel her trembling. "He's not allowed in the house."

"I know that." Ric looked at Damon warily. "But you've got to make an exception."

She stared blankly at Ric.

"Get her out of the house," Damon barked. "NOW!"

Alaric pushed her out of the house, regretting doing so soon after.

"Miss Gibbons," Klaus said kindly, brushing her short bangs out of her face. "Tell me the truth. Are you married?"

"No," She whimpered.

"Parents, children, anyone else who lives on this property?" Damon questioned next, coming to stand next to Klaus.

"No. It's just me."

Damon and Klaus' met eyes, both smirking victoriously.

"Hm. No? Good." Damon broke the lady's neck in one swift moment, causing her limp body to sag to the floor.

Alaric stood frozen in the doorway, shell shocked. "You...you were supposed to compel her."

"It doesn't work that way...," Damon said with a shrug.

"She's human," Alaric narrowed his eyes, staring at the two vampires.

"And I'm not! So, I don't care and neither does Klaus." Damon pushed by him, Klaus right at his heels.

Damon paused for a moment, staring hard at Ric.

"Now get out of here!" He shooed him away. "And get rid of the body!"

~0~

Meanwhile, down at Damon's car, Caroline sat in the front seat, with Elena in the back.

Unbeknownst to Caroline, Elena slipped her stolen vervain syringe from her purse. She studied it, obviously contemplating her next move.

The storm was raging on outside the car.

 _What a great day for a rescue mission_. Caroline thought dryly.  _I still haven't even gotten my car back from that damn back road to hell..._

Lightning flashed, a bright light paired with the loud crack that struck something nearby.

A huge tree branch fell onto the car's windshield, shattering a great portion of it. Both girls gasped, jumping in surprise.

~0~

At the Grill, Matt stood by Tyler, who was staring at his father and that Pearl lady. They had been conversing about history and obtaining property.

"Guy's not even subtle about it," Tyler growled, unconscious clenching his jaw.

"Who is that?" Matt asked, following his friend's gaze to the pair.

"It's not my mother, that's for damn sure."

Across the room, Anna was playing darts by herself. Unable to help himself, Jeremy wandered over to the girl. Anna told him to stay back, and she threw the dart, hitting dead center.

The couple grinned at each other.

"I'm sorry, Mayor," Pearl said suddenly, having took noticed in the boy's interest in Anna, and Anna's interest in him. "Do you know that boy over there?"

"Yeah," Richard said, looking at where she was gesturing. "That's Jeremy Gilbert."

"You don't say," She replied coolly, studying him for a brief moment.

~0~

Alaric ran down the hill, heading back to Damon's car. Throwing open the front passenger door, where his bag – and Caroline – had been just ten minutes ago, he saw that neither girl was there.

Mumbling a curse, he picked up the bag and turned back around.

He saw a flash of blonde hair that stood out like a sore thumb in the dark forest as she crept behind a tree not too far from the house.

 _Caroline._  he sighed.

_Damon would be pissed._

~0~

"Billy!" Frederick called, causing Elena and Caroline to freeze. They were outside, just a step down from being on the porch. "What's the holdup?!"

Frederick turned to another vampire, who was just as wrapped up in the television like he was, and told him to go see what the holdup was.

The vampire got up, and headed into the kitchen.

He looked around, and headed into the pantry. Damon popped out, swiftly staking him.

Jacob shrieked silently.

"Billy, Jacob, get back in here!"

Outside, Elena jumped onto the porch, Caroline right behind her, mentally cursing all the way.

 _This would not end well._  She just knew it.

Frederick got up, heading into the kitchen. Elena, whom had been staring through the window, took this moment to run past the screened door leading into the room where Frederick was. She stumbled down a staircase, and tried to open the door.

"Elena!" Caroline hissed. "Stop!"

Elena glanced over her shoulder, rolled her eyes, and tried to open the cellar door again.

 _Nothing_.

Taking her jacket clad elbow, Elena broke one of the glass panes, wincing. The glass clattered obnoxiously as it hit the floor, shattering further.

Caroline held her breath, waiting for someone to come to the door, to kill or attack Elena, and then her.

Opening the door, Elena slipped inside. Caroline followed, despite her better judgment. A man stood at the end of the hall, acting as guard. Elena pulled her syringe out of her jacket, and gets ready to attack. Right before she pounced, Caroline grabbed her collar, hauling her backwards.

 _NO! S_ he mouthed, pulling a stake from her jacket.

Caroline crept forward, her heart pounding so violently she was shocked he hadn't heard it yet.

Leaping forward with a soft battle cry, she sunk the stake into the vampire's chest. It only went in partially, as she was not strong enough yet. The vampire cried out, and she flinched at the noise. Suddenly, a figure came up beside her, and shoved the dagger the last few inches into his heart, their hand over hers.

Caroline stared wide-eyed up at Damon, who stared impassively back.

Her heart continued it's dun-dun-dun-dun patter in her chest.

Caroline was the first to break eye contact, looking away quickly.

"What the hell?! Are you three insane?," he rumbled, his voice terrifyingly low.

 _Three?_ Caroline wondered, and she glanced over her shoulder to see Ric, dagger in hand.

~0~

Inside the room, Stefan and Harper were both still trapped.

Stefan groaned, working up the strength to roll his head to look at the other vampire.

"Thank you. For trying to help me."

Harper's sad, dark eyes met Stefan's. "They just need somebody to blame." he said in heavy Southern accent. "Someone to punish."

After a minute of silence, Elena barged into the cellar, Damon and Caroline right behind her, as usual.

Caroline gasped softly as she took in Stefan's haphazard appearance.

His thin white tank top was on the floor, blood soaked in most places. His toned, bare chest had multiple slice wounds across it, with vervain burns around his wrists, face, shoulders, and anywhere a rope could go.

When Stefan's green eyes stared at the groups' with shock, Elena noticed his eyes were bloodshot.

"Elena...," Stefan groaned. "Caroline. You two shouldn't...shouldn't be here."

"They were  _supposed_  to stay in the car," Damon said, his hand wrapped tightly around Caroline's arm, gazing at her with a fiercely protective yet dicey look.

"I was planning on doing that!" The blonde protested, her voice soft. "But  _Elena_  here just had to take off. I wasn't going to let her go on this damn suicide mission alone..."

"Uh, hey guys?" Ric asked, stopping Caroline's rant. "Where's Klaus?"

Damon growled, staring up the narrow staircase. He seemed to have just realized he hadn't seen his so called friend since the 'party' had begun.

Harper moaned, causing Elena to finally realize his presence.

Damon let go of Caroline, shooting her a glare that said, D _on't even think about moving._

**Caroline's POV**

I held my hands up innocently, as Damon went over to the dark skinned vampire.

"Unnnh!" Stefan groaned. "No. No! Not him."

Damon shrugged, pulling back from Harper. "Suit yourself."

"Let's get you down," Caroline said gently, having went over to Stefan.

"Vervain on the ropes," he mumbled weakly, and she nodded.

"Pull that," she commanded Elena, pointing to a rope hanging from the ceiling.

Elena tugged, allowing Ric to slice the knot that kept Stefan's body in an upward position.

He groaned, sagging slightly in the chair.

Elena and I worked quickly, removing the ropes from his body.

"Alright," Damon snapped impatiently. "Let's go, clothes on."

"Wait," Stefan said, his eyes locked on the boy's sagging figure. "Harper helped me. Now it's my turn to help him."

I stepped over to Harper's body, and pulled the stake out of his left knee. Stefan ripped out the right, groaning from the effort.

"C'mon, we gotta go," Damon pushed again.

**Third Person POV**

Upstairs, Klaus crept around the corner, coming from where the bedrooms were.

He had heard that Pearl told Damon she knew where Chandra was.

A quick search of her room told him otherwise.

A deep voice met Klaus' highly sensitive ears. "Turn that down. It's too quiet."

One of the men closest to the television got up to turn it down, not aware of remotes just quite yet.

Klaus sped into the living room, sunk a stake into the man's chest cavity and disappeared from view.

The vampire fell to the floor with a dull smack.

"Spread out.  _Now_. You two, back of the house.  _Go_. Check both rooms," he jerked his thumb in the direction, and they scurried off like good little mice. "Cellar, now," he said to the last vampire, who got up, just as he did.

"Something's not right."

**Caroline's POV**

Stefan and I pulled the last two stakes out of another vampire before we left.

Elena and Ric helped Stefan get outside and walk down the slippy slope.

Damon followed, keeping a close eye on me.

"What about Klaus?" I asked, studying Damon's face, gauging his reaction.

He shrugged. "Gonna have to leave him."

"Leave who?"

 _Speak of the devil._  I thought when Klaus jogged up beside me.

"Nobody anymore," I chirped, glancing at Damon again.

"Can you get him in the car?" I heard Ric ask 'Lena as they picked their way through the mud.

"Yeah." she nodded.

The porch door slammed open, and I heard someone roar.

"Klaus – get her to safety!" Damon commanded, pushing me into his waiting arms. "You rescue- I'll distract – go!" He then shouted down to Ric and Elena.

"No!" I squirmed in Klaus' grasp. "Let me walk! I can walk just fine on my own!"

I stomped on his toe, accidentally, of course, and he grumbled, letting me go. "Fine, love, just don't come crying to me when you -"

Suddenly I was slipping  _down_

_d_

_o_

_w_

_n_

_down_ , through bushes and mud, conking my head against multiple trees and rocks.

When I came to a stop, I was right at Stefan's feet.

I groaned in pain, feeling a headache blossoming behind my skull.

"You okay?" Ric asked, letting go of Stefan to kneel by my side.

Elena, who seemed to be weaker than she let on, crumbled to the floor, unable to keep Stefan up.

I groaned again, nodding slowly. "I think so," I said, grimacing as I tasted mud, and maybe even a little blood.

**Third Person POV**

Damon fought what seemed like countless vampires, staking some, ripping heads off others. After a few moments, he managed to pounce on Frederick.

Almost immediately, two vampires were on him, pulling him off and beginning to attack him, giving Frederick the perfect chance to escape.

Klaus, having heard the ruckus, stared off at Caroline for a moment, before deciding to go inside to help. Pulling out a dart, he threw it at the vampire's back, immediately making him sag to the floor.

"I'm going after Frederick!" Damon called, running off.

~ At the Grill ~

Pearl and Anna stood in the woman's bathroom, talking heatedly about Anna and Jeremy's relationship.

"I want you to stop seeing him!" Pearl ordered her daughter sternly.

Anna scoffed, pushing her black hair off her shoulder. "I've been on my own for a  _long_  time mother. I can make my own decisions."

"Then stop acting like a child! As soon as Jeremy finds out what you really are, he'll turn on you!" Pearl retorted, and her daughter knew that this wasn't true.

"He already knows," She murmured, looking away.

A venomous tone crept into her mother's voice. "What did you just say?"

Anna swallowed, took a deep breath, and repeated herself. "Jeremy knows. He likes it. _And_ he likes me."

Pearl snarled, slapping her daughter. Anna stared up at her mother in shock, quickly leaving.

As soon as she was out of her sight, she pulled out her phone and sent a text to Jeremy.

_I'll do it. I'll turn you._

~0~

**Caroline's POV**

Ric helped Elena and Stefan get back up, before coming back over to me.

"You don't look so good, Caroline," he said softly, helping me into a sitting position.

I nodded, my stomach rolling. "I feel..." I made a face, and he chuckled.

"Yeah. I bet."

Stefan and Elena had already headed off down the hill, almost to the car.

Dusk had fallen, and I could see the beginning moonlight glimmering off their hair, and off the car.

"Can you walk?" He asked, after following my gaze.

"Y-yeah." I took his proffered hand, allowing him to pull me to my feet. "Ooh." The world spun. "Maybe not."

Ric bent down, scooping me up into his arms.

"Thanks," I said quietly, smiling at him. He reminded me of my dad, from what little I could remember. It would be nice to have a father figure – or even just someone I could look up to – around.

**Third Person POV**

"C'mon, Stefan," Elena said gently. "It's right over here."

Elena eased Stefan into the car, and went around to the driver side.

_Hadn't Caroline left the key in the ignition?_

She swallowed thickly. "Stefan..."

She saw a shadow move around the side of the car, and Frederick shattered the window on his side, dragging his limp body out.

Once Stefan was on the ground, he began to beat him.

Both men grunted and groaned, out of rage and pain.

"This is for Beth-Anne," Frederick snarled, running Stefan through with a very sharp branch.

Elena screamed and saw Alaric holding Caroline, picking his way down the hill as careful as possible.

Stefan made an inhuman sound as the other vampire twisted the branch.

"NO!" Elena pounced on him, stabbing the needle into his back.

His body crumpled, and he fell to the mud.

"Stefan..." she knelt next to him, quickly removing the branch.

"No, please...Stefan." she repeated his name over and over, gently shaking him.

Alaric's breath caught in his throat as he saw Elena run and suddenly disappear from view as she knelt at Stefan's side.

"What is it?" Caroline asked sleepily, not fully conscious.

"Stefan," he breathed, and Caroline made a little noise, nodding.

Elena stood up, and grabbing a rock, sliced open her hand, wincing.

"Stefan," she murmured, falling back to her knees. "Drink."

"Elena, please...run," he groaned, and Elena heard Frederick stir behind her.

"No," she said stubbornly, despite Stefan's plea.

"You need more blood!" she said again, rubbing her blood on his lips. "I trust you. Please."

She moved her wrist to his lips, and he bit down, just as Alaric came into view.

When sleepy Caroline saw Stefan drinking from Elena, her eyes shot open.

 _Was Stefan...really...that...bad off?_ She wondered as her brain tried to process everything.

Pearl and Anna walked into their house, which was now strewn with bodies of their dead friends.

"So, you are aware that Pearl lied to you about knowing Chandra's location, right mate?" Klaus asked, staring intently at his friend.

"Yep," he said, though the wild look in his eyes said otherwise.

"Stop," Pearl said in shock, running inside. "What did you do?"

"What? Little ole us?" Damon mocked, looking at Klaus with a devilish smirk.

"Damon here is a bit furious your little band of vampires spent last night and today torturing my brother," Klaus chuckled, his eyes locking onto Anna's.

"Trust me. The parties responsible for this will be dealt with." she looked to the blood covering their clothes and hands. "But...something tells me that you already did just that." Glancing at Anna, she sighed heavily. "This wasn't supposed to happen."

"Well, it did," Damon said, gesturing to Klaus to leave. Damon paused in the doorway. "If I had a good side...not a way to get on it. And by the way, I know you're lying about Chandra. You don't have the  _slightest_  idea where she is."

Peal blinked in shock, before turning away.

"C'mon Annabelle. We have some bodies to dispose of."

~0~

Frederick groaned, getting to his feet. Elena gently pulled her wrist from Stefan, staring deeply into his eyes.

Alaric watched in shock as Stefan leaped to his feet, ripped the branch from his grasp, and repeated stabbed the other vampire in the heart.

He snarled viciously, and Elena ran to his side.

"Stefan!"

Caroline, wiggling out of Alaric's arms, got to her feet and staggered over to Stefan and Elena.

"Stefan." she laid her hand onto his shoulder, and he turned around, snarling at the girls.

They both recoil, looking a bit shocked – Elena more than Caroline.

Stefan froze, looking horrified. The veins under his eyes evaporated seemingly immediately, and his fangs retraced.

~0~

_Back at the Boarding House_

**Caroline's POV**

I had just walked in the door, when my phone rang.

_Matt_

"C-Caroline?" his voice was pained, and I could tell he had been – or was currently – sobbing.

"Matt?!" I exclaimed, rushing into the other room for privacy.

" _It's – It's Vicki._ "

My heart stopped. "Whaaaatdya mean?" I winced right after it left my mouth. I sounded...off.

_Great going, Caroline._

" _My mom – she – she had me go get your car and I-I was walking over to get it, and I slid down the little hill, and she was right there...just...dead."_ he took a gasp-y breath, his voice shaking.

I gasped.

 _Damon Salvatore! Did he even bury Vicki?_ I growled. I was going to have a bone to pick with him.

"Oh my God, Matt," I said quietly. "I'll be right over."

" _Th-thanks, Care,"_ He mumbled before hanging up.

I slid my phone in my purse and limped upstairs to quickly change.

When I got back downstairs, Klaus was waiting for me.

"And where do you think you're going, love?"

"To Matt's," I replied, trying to sidestep him.

"No you aren't." Damon said, and I glanced over my shoulder to see him walk into the foyer. "You just slid down a hill in the dark, Caroline. You probably have a concussion."

"So?" I snapped, turning to face him. " _You_  tossed Vicki's body into a ravine, the least I can do is go visit the poor kid! He found his dead sister's body, alone, in the cold and the rain. I'm going."

I quickly spun on my heel, and walked out the door, heading for my car. Klaus appeared in front of me, blocking the door.

"Klaus!" I whined. "Let me through!"

"I'll drive you," he said gently. "You aren't well."

"And how do you plan on getting back?" I demanded, placing a hand on my hip.

"Vampire speed, love. It's not that complicated."

I huffed and nodded. "Fine."

I went around and got into the passenger seat, crossing my arms.

Klaus climbed in without a word, took my offered keys, and we drove off.

~0~

"Matt," I said quietly as he opened the door.

His blue eyes were puffy and his face was pink from crying.

"Aw." I jutted out my bottom lip, feeling a wave of guilt wash over me.

_You could've done more, Caroline. You could have stopped them from killing her._

_Murderer._

A tiny voice sneered at me from the back of my mind.

"Care," his voice cracked, and I pulled him towards me, hugging him tightly. "Thanks."

I just nodded, and my tears flowed freely. I'd never really been  _friends_  with Vicki, but I'd always been friends with Matt. When she died, Matt and Jeremy lived on, oblivious, but I knew.  _I'd always known._

I was sobbing now, my chest shaking just as much as Matt's.

We pulled away and moved to sit next to one another in the living room.

I saw Sheriff Bennett and Kelly in the kitchen, chatting silently.

"Is there anything I can do?"

He shook his head, still crying softly. "I-I just...really, really, don't want to be alone right now."

I nodded knowingly and pulled him into a hug again, gently stroking his back.

Tears streamed down my face, and I realized how much vampires could really ruin your life – even if you weren't even aware of them...

Elena arrived earlier, and cried, just like I did. After staying for an awkward while, she left.

"I have to go check on Jeremy," She'd murmured lowly. "He's probably an emotional wreck."

**Third Person POV**

Damon, Klaus and Alaric sat at the bar, glasses of alcohol seated on the table in front of them.

"That was fun," Damon mumbled, breaking the silence. Alaric turned to glare hatefully at him. "Oh, don't look at me like that. I know you hate me." He took a long swig. "Guess what?  _Everyone_  hates me. But you can't deny it. We were bad ass."

Alaric took his last sip before decking Damon, causing him to almost fall of the stool.

Ric threw his glass down, almost shattering it, and left.

Damon shook his head roughly. "Unh. Happens."

Klaus chuckled. "It does, mate."

~0~

"Jer...," Elena murmured to her brother, who was headed upstairs. "Are...you okay?"

He stared blankly down at her. "I'm gonna go get some sleep."

She nodded, not thinking twice about a thing.

Jeremy headed into his room, where Anna was standing.

"What are you doing?" she asked when she saw his slumped shoulders.

"My...My friend Vicki. She- She's dead."

"Vicki?" She furrowed her brows for a split second. "The one you thought was a..."

He nodded. "Yeah." He pushed a hand through his hair. "Turns out she's been dead all along."

Anna stared at him, clearly hurt. "She's the reason you wanted to turn? You wanted to be with...with her?"

Jeremy stared at the floor, ashamed. "Look, Anna...I'm sorry."

When he glanced back up, she was gone.

**Caroline's POV**

I walked back to my room, when I had a thought.

_I wonder how Stefan's doing? I knew he usually didn't drink from humans..._

I noticed a chunk of clear plastic peeking out from under his door. Squatting down, I picked it up.

_O+_

I made a face, dropping the bag immediately. Getting to my feet, I pushed the door open.

Empty blood-bags were everywhere, strewn across the floor, on his bed, even in his lap. Stefan was sitting on the floor, his face partially vamped out, sucking viciously from another blood-bag.

My breath caught nervously in my throat, and his head swiveled to stare at me.

"Uh." I backed up, almost tripping over nothing. "Sorry!" I ran back to my room, locking the door behind me.

 _This could not be good._ I thought, plopping down to my window seat.

My mind racing, I pulled out my favorite pen and began to write in my journal.

 


	45. Under Control : Part One

_Previously on Everything Changes..._

_Empty blood-bags were everywhere, strewn across the floor, on his bed, even in his lap. Stefan was sitting on the floor, his face partially vamped out, sucking viciously from another blood-bag._

_My breath caught nervously in my throat, and his head swiveled to stare at me._

" _Uh." I backed up. "Sorry!" I ran back to my room, locking the door behind me._

_This could not be good. I thought, plopping down on my window seat._

_My mind racing, I pulled out my favorite pen and began to write in my journal._

* * *

**Caroline's POV**

_Dear Diary,_

_It turns out that the tomb vampires did kidnap Stefan like Damon suspected...Damon, Alaric, Klaus, Elena and I rescued him this afternoon._

_Frederick attacked Stefan, and from what I've heard, he almost died. Elena gave him some of her blood and I think it might have made him loose control. You'd never believe what I found not even five minutes ago. There were blood-bags everywhere in Stefan's room. There had to be at least twenty of them! I'd never seen anyone – not even Damon drink as many as that at once. I'm worried, Diary, what if he can't stop? I'm going to call Damon, wherever the hell he is, and tell him. I need to let Zach know too..._

_Poor Matt found Vicki's body when he was getting my car for me._

_Sheesh, today has just been a terrible day for everyone I guess._

Someone – I'm assuming Stefan, knocked on my door.

"Caroline?"

_Stefan's knocking, I better go._

_Wish me luck..._

_Caroline_

"Stefan?" I got up off my seat, and went to the door, but didn't open in. "I'm going to bed, Stefan. We can talk in the morning."

I heard him sigh heavily, before his footsteps faded.

Going back over to my bed, I picked up my phone off my nightstand.

_Damon Salvatore →_

_I found Stefan in his room w/ about 20 empty blood bags... I'm worried about him, Damon – should I be?_

_Send._

I slipped out of my room quietly, and padded down the hall, past Stefan's door to Zach's room, which was at the very end.

I knocked twice, and went inside after hearing a soft,

"Come in."

Zach was sitting on his black sofa on the left wall. His room was designed a lot like Stefan and Damon's, only his was more modern and fit to his quiet personality.

It looked like he had just got back from work because he was still in his black slacks and white polo, tie hanging loosely around his neck.

I sat down on the small chair across from him and gave him a quiet run down on what had gone on. I usually kept him in the dark, on a need to know basis, because that's what he preferred. The less he knew, the better, he'd said.

"I know Uncle Stefan has fallen off the rails in the past, but I never knew he had this little control over it." he chuckled dryly, taking off his tie completely. "We're still here, so he must have some control." he added, almost as a sour after thought.

I nodded, and sat in silence.

"Oh, your uncle contacted me this afternoon." Zach said.

_My uncle?_

"Uncle?"

"Yeah, your dad's brother." Zach furrowed his eyebrows. "Ezra?"

I thought back to my mom, and wondered if she had ever mentioned him. I knew she had said something about Dad having a brother, but it was clear they didn't get along very well.

"I knew I had an Uncle, but him and Mom didn't get along, from what I remember."

Zach nodded slowly. "He mentioned you might not remember him. Anyways, he's going to be stopping by in about two weeks to visit you."

"Oh?" I frowned.

_Why would he want to suddenly have a part in my life now? It's been almost six months since Mom died..._

"Yeah." He got up and started getting pajamas out of his dresser. "I just figured you deserved a head's up."

I nodded slowly, absorbing the new information. "Alright, I guess."

His grandfather clock rung lowly as the clock struck 11 p.m.

"Well, I better get to bed," I smiled slightly, standing up. "I let Damon know what was going on with...y'know..."

Zach nodded once, and I left the room.

~0~

I woke up late the next morning, my sleep schedule clearly messed up.

Cursing, I leaped out of bed, and got into the shower. Once I was out, I finished getting ready for school, and stumbled down the stairs.

"Gooooood morning, Blondie," Damon greeted with a smirk, a mug of something in his hand.

"You didn't get back with me last night," I told him, wiggling my phone in the air.

"I was busy," he mumbled, and I raised an eyebrow.

"Being drunk at the Grill is  _not_  an excuse Damon. Your brother, Stefan, is obviously struggling. You ought to at least try to care."

I picked my backpack up off the floor, heaving it over my shoulder.

He studied me intently, not saying anything.

I stared right back. Trying to get him to stop being so stubborn was like trying to break up concrete with a pillow – it was just impossible.

I huffed in exasperation. "Whatever, I gotta go to school."

_~One week later~_

**Third Person POV**

Music blaring, Stefan did his 500th pull up on the bar situated between two posts in his bedroom.

He jumped down, beginning to go down into push-up form when Damon entered.

"Could you turn it up a little bit? It's not annoying yet."

"Sorry," Stefan said, though it was obvious from his tone of voice he didn't mean it.

Stef had been avidly working out and avoiding Caroline, Elena and Zach for the past week. He didn't want to endanger any of them until he knew he was back in control.

The music suddenly stopped, and Stefan growled in annoyance, beginning to furiously pump his body up and down.

 _1...2...3..._ he counted in his head.

"When are you going back to school?" Damon asked, taking a sip of blood.

Stefan could distinctly smell it, and his throat tingled the longer Damon was here.

"Soon." He grit out.

_11...12...13..._

"Oh, come on!" Damon nudged his brother's shoulder with his foot. "Just drink already. This self-detox is just not natural, and you know it."

Damon sat the drink on the low coffee table next to Stefan.

Stefan growled again, still counting.

_22...23...24..._

"Can you take that away from me please?" He barked, pausing for a brief moment to tear his eyes away from the glass.

"How long did it take you to wean yourself off it the last time you indulged?" Damon continued.

Stefan's biceps began pumping again, as he returned to his pushups, more fervently this time.

Damon clicked his tongue, and picked up the glass, taking a swig. "Ooo, that's not good."

"I'll be fine," Stefan retorted between heavy breaths. "It just takes a little bit of time."

"I don't get it," Damon plopped down on the sofa across from where the other was still doing push-ups. "Y'know, you don't  _have_  to kill to survive. That's what blood banks are for. I haven't hunted in...God _,_ way too long."

"Oh," Stefan said through clenched teeth. "I'm impressed."

_40...41..._

"It's completely self-serving. I'm trying to get the town off the trail of vampires which is not very easy considering that there is an entire tomb of them running around."

Stefan grunted as he pulled himself to his feet. Crossing his aching arms, he said, "And what are we planning on doing about that exactly?"

Damon raised his eyebrows, staring pointedly at Stefan. " _We_ aren't going to be doing much of anything if you don't have your strength, Stef. There's nothing wrong with partaking in a healthy diet of human blood from a blood bank. You're not actually killing anyone."

Caroline, whom had been drifting outside for quite some time, knocked twice on the door frame before making herself known.

"He's got a point, Stefan." Care smiled slightly, her eyes drifting over her friend's body, which had gotten noticeably stronger. "I know you don't have control over your...urges...but maybe you could work on them? I mean, you always say how you aren't as strong as Damon, but-"

"I have my reasons, Caroline." Stefan cut her off tersely, crossing his arms and walking away from Damon, who had gotten closer to him as he'd spoke.

She opened her mouth to retort before sighing, walking in farther.

Damon plopped down into Stefan's armchair, and smirked expectantly. "Well, what are those 'holier than thou' reasons? You know, we've never actually discussed this. I'd – I'd love to hear this story." He crossed his arms and waited.

"He's really enjoying this, I see." Caroline frowned, placing a hand on Stefan's shoulder.

He flinched away, and heat rushed to her cheeks. Stepping away, she sighed. "Sorry."

"Very much so." Damon smirked wider, clapping his hands. "Take a seat, Blondie, it's story time!"

Caroline glanced hesitantly at the two brothers, before going to stand behind Damon's chair.

"I hate to break it to you Damon...but I actually have it under complete control."

Damon clenched his jaw, craning his head to stare up at Blondie. "You do?" he hummed lowly, grabbing her wrist.

"Damon!" Caroline exclaimed in surprise.

"So, you can just carry on, making the rest of us look bad? You're saying that this doesn't bother you?"

Damon picked up the glass and poured a few drops of blood across Caroline's bare wrist.

The blonde cringed, still trying to pull away from his tight grasp.

Damon stared at his brother, who had been staring at Caroline with a dark, conflicted glint in his eyes. Stefan tore his gaze away, and went back to the pull up bar. Damon's blue eyes flitted up to Caroline's. Slowly, he brought her wrist to his lips. His cold lips kissed away the two streaks of crimson blood off her warm skin, causing shivers to run down her back.

He got up off the couch then, releasing her. She scoffed angrily, cupping her wrist and leaving the room. Her cheeks had been a bright pink, and Damon's signature smirk continued to plaster his face.

"Have a great day, Stefan." He left the room, the glass lingering on the table.

After a moment, he entered. "Oops. Almost forgot something."

Taking the glass, he took a long drink, relishing the taste. "See ya around, brother."

He departed the room for the final time that morning.

~0~

**Caroline's POV**

After cleaning off my arm, feeling thoroughly violated; I grabbed my purse off my bed, jogging downstairs.

"Bye, Zach! I'm headed off to school!" I called down the hall, knowing he'd probably in the kitchen or dining room, eating his breakfast.

Zach popped into the entryway by the kitchen. "See ya, Care, have a great day in school!"

I waved to him before opening the door.

"Caroline!" a man exclaimed, his arm raised to knock.

My gaze drifted up to stare into the dark blue eyes of the man in front of me.

"Hi?"

"Oh," he chuckled. "That's right. We've never met..." he rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. "Sorry. Ezra. I'm your uncle..."

I blinked, trying to remember his face.

He was tall, towering above me. He was at least six feet. His hair was a dark blonde, and I could see the slight resemblance from pictures of my father. He had a mustache and beard, a bit darker than his blonde hair. He was definitely younger than my dad, at least by fifteen or so years.

 _Uncle Zach had reminded me he'd be stopping by!_  I recalled, and I forced a smile on my face.

"Yeah, hi. Sorry, I wasn't expecting you. Zach mentioned you'd stop by, but..." I trailed off, shifting my bag to the other arm.

"No, no, it's my fault. I should have let you all know I'd be here this morning."

Zach walked up behind me, and extended his hand. "You must be Ezra. I'm Zach, Care's godfather."

They shook hands, smiling politely.

"Are you sure we haven't met before?" I asked when I shook his hand next. I instantly got a bizarre vibe off of Ezra. I couldn't place it, but it was...unusual. It was like déjà vu mixed with the paranoid feeling you get when you know you're being watched.

"I came to your mother's funeral." He explained. "I couldn't stay long, but I was in the back. I didn't want to intrude."

"You two didn't get along, right?" I asked, and he chuckled again, nodding.

"Yeah..."

"So, do you have a place to stay, Ezra?" Zach asked, ushering him inside.

"Oh, yeah, I'm staying at a hotel in town." Ezra informed, craning his neck to look around the Boarding House.

"Nice place you've got here," he said, smiling at Zach.

"Oh, thank you," Zach replied, dipping his head.

"Alright," I said, glancing at the grandfather clock. "I better head off to school."

"Okay Caroline, I'll stop by this afternoon and perhaps we can go to dinner, catch up."

I grinned, nodding. "Sure, I'd like that."

The thought of getting know my uncle – and perhaps even finding out more about my dad – excited me. Mom wouldn't talk much about him, said that  _he_  left  _us_ , and it wasn't worth the time or tears talking about him.

As I drove to school and as I sat through my classes, I couldn't wait to get out and learn more about my dad's side.

When Bonnie, Elena and I walked to our cars, Elena piped up.

"So my Uncle John showed up today," she announced, rolling her eyes.

"Really? How long is he staying?" Bonnie asked, fishing her keys out of her pocket.

"He said his trip is 'open ended'."

I made a face. "I never really liked that guy." I admitted, and they laughed.

"Yeah, I'm pretty sure the feeling's mutual, Care."

"Well, you know that I'm here for moral support if you need me," Bonnie said with a smile.

"My uncle appeared out of the blue too," I told them. "My dad's brother. He said he came to Mom's funeral, but I don't remember seeing him."

The two girls' eyes widened. "I never knew he had a brother!"

"Yeah, nor did I. I guess he contacted Zach last week, wanting to get to know me and stuff."

"We're all here for each other, you know," Bonnie said, giving me a slight hug.

"Yeah," Elena agreed, smiling. "Hey, so have you seen Stefan? How is he doing?"

Bonnie made a face, and said goodbye, getting into her car. I could tell she was still touchy on the Stefan subject...

"He's doing okay, I think. He's been avoiding me – Zach too – I... I found him in his room the night after we rescued him with blood-bags everywhere. He's been exercising and drinking a lot, Damon said it helps with the cravings, so I guess he's recovering." I unlocked my car, smiling tightly. "I guess we should just give him time."

Elena groaned, and got into her car.

"Don't forget about that paper due in English, Care." she reminded me, and I cursed under my breath.

"Shoot, yeah, thanks! I better go back and get my binder."

Elena backed out of her spot, and sped off.

I groaned, trudging back into school to get my binder.

When I opened the door that led into the hall of lockers, I heard someone call my name.

"Care!"

I turned around, before looking ahead of me to see Matt walking towards me.

I headed towards him – and my locker.

"I never got to tell you thanks," He said gratefully as he got closer. "Just...thanks...for everything, Care. At- at Vicki's funeral, and memorial. I couldn't have done it without you."

I smiled, pulling my locker door open. "Of course Matt. That's what friends are for."

There was a long pause, and I put my binder in my bag and shut my locker.

"So, is Angelica still baking for you guys?"

Angelica was Matt's rebound girl, of sorts. She was on the school's volleyball team, and was a very upfront and vocal brunette. I'd had a few classes with her in the past, and we'd talked, but we weren't exactly friends.

"She finally went to her grandma's in New Jersey." He chuckled. "Any more meatloaves, and I was going to puke." he paused. "I think my mom was going to strangle her if she dropped by one more time."

I laughed again, knowing how overbearing people could be. She'd done the same thing for me when Mom died, but I'd politely told her I was a vegetarian – a total lie, of course; and that I appreciated her care, but just wanted to be left alone.

"Sounds like Angelica." I heaved my backpack onto my shoulder, and Matt and I walked back to the parking lot.

"So, my dad's brother showed up today. I'm supposed to go meet him at the Grill after school, according to Zach."

Matt nodded slowly, his blue eyes gauging my reaction. "Yeah? How do ya think that's going to go?"

I nibbled on the corner of my lip for a moment.

Eyes crinkling, I grinned wide. "I'm actually really excited! I was kind of nervous at first, but there's so much I have to ask him!"

~0~

**Third Person POV**

Damon arrived at Founder's Hall, quietly slipping into the meeting room.

Sheriff Bennett stood in the middle, with everyone's attention on him. "The coroner's office has officially ruled Vicki Donovan's death a drug overdose. Her family has been notified, the truth will stay in this room and we can put this behind us"

"Thank you Sheriff," Mayor Lockwood nodded, and stepped forward, arrogantly brushing the sheriff aside. "Onto a more pressing issue, we have two men that have asked to say a few words."

Damon raised an eyebrow, surprised.

 _Who'd shown up in the past week that he hadn't known about?_ Usually he was quite the expert on each member of the council.

"Hi," The clean shaven man said, his keen blue eyes scanning the room. "I'm John Gilbert, and it's wonderful to see you, though I wish it were under better circumstances. As a founding family member, my friend Ezra Forbes and I find it's our duty to report some very distressing news."

The other man, Ezra, had a well-kept beard and mustache, and equally blue eyes. Damon narrowed his eyes, a bit suspicious of the two.

Inching his way through the crowd slowly, he stood next to Rudy.

"They're founding families?" Damon asked lowly, speaking directly to the sheriff.

Rudy nodded. "Gilbert's Elena's uncle. His name's John, but most call him Jackass." He snorted lowly. "The other is Ezra Forbes. He hasn't been around much. Skipped town when his brother Bill married Elizabeth, the previous sheriff."

"Caroline's parents?" Damon asked, his gaze flitting to the bearded man.

"Yeah."

"A hospital blood bank in the neighboring county of Amherst has reported several break-ins over the past two weeks. 7 hunters, 4 campers and 2 states employees have been reported missing as well. All of this within a 75 mile radius of Mystic Falls."

"Easy, John," Ezra spoke up, placing a hand on his shoulder.

"No need to get alarmed right now, people," Mayor Lockwood said, quieting the nervous chatter.

Rudy shook his head faintly beside Damon, who looked curiously at him.

"Meaning he doesn't want to cancel the Founder's Day kickoff party."

"What about Ezra?" Damon asked, still keeping his voice soft. "He seems...new to all this?"

Rudy raised a brow. "Really? Ezra's the youngest in his family, but by far one of the most well trained among us."

The vampire swallowed thickly. "Hunter?"

Rudy nodded. "Best I've seen. Great recreational hunter – been doing it since he was in middle school. It's even been rumored that he's taken out a few vampires in his time. I'm not sure if that much is true- since he's been gone for almost 20 years. I'd be surprised if it wasn't true, they called him Deadshot in high school..."

Damon shifted his weight to his other foot, staring blankly at the two new men.

 _If Ezra really was a vampire hunter like Rudy suspected...the tomb vampires would be screwed._  Damon smirked to himself at the thought.

~0~

**Caroline's POV**

I got up from my booth at the Grill, grumbling under my breath.

Uncle Ezra should have been here an hour ago, but hadn't shown up yet.

 _I should've known._  I grumbled to myself.  _Leave it to me to get stood up by my own uncle._

Throwing down a five for the appetizer and water I had ordered, I left the restaurant and went out to my car.

"Caroline!" A deep voice called, and I turned to see 'Uncle' Ezra hurrying out of his Mercedes.

"You never showed up," I stated, continuing toward my car.

"I'm sorry!" he ran over to me, hesitantly stepping in front of me. "I got caught up with some old friends."

I stared up at him, my hands on my hips. "Yeah, well, I have homework to do, and I can't afford to wait around for tardy Uncles." I said, only partially serious.

"Do you want to reschedule?" he asked, obviously intent on getting to talk to me one way or another. "Could I come over for dinner maybe?"

He smiled nervously at me, and I stared at him still.

After a heavy sigh, I nodded. "Fine. Tomorrow night, before the Founders' Day kickoff party."

He nodded eagerly. "Thank you, I'll see you then. I promise."

I rolled my eyes, nodding, before getting in my car.

~0~

"You're home earlier than I expected." Zach said as I pulled myself up to sit on the counter in the kitchen.

"Ezra showed up just as I was leaving." I murmured, crossing my arms. "I feel sufficiently stood up."

"Huh," Zach said, almost to himself. "That's weird. He said he'd meet you at – you know what? There was a Founder's Council meeting today. Maybe he went."

I furrowed my brows.  _Why would he go to a meeting? How could he know about vampires if he's been gone for the past like 18 years?_

"He did say he got caught up talking to some old friends..." I thought aloud, fiddling with my necklace.

"Yep." Damon waltzed into the kitchen, popping the 'p'. "Good ole' Uncle Ezra was with Elena's Uncle John and they got all buddy-buddy, double teaming the council with a 'someone's robbing blood-banks' speech."

Zach paused mid bite, and sat his sandwich down. "Really?"

Damon nodded, opening the fridge and pulling out a blood bag from the bottom shelf. Pouring it into a black mug, he shrugged.

"Sheriff Rudy said that he's some kick-ass hunter. Both vampire and animal." Damon took a swig before continuing. "Guess he killed some mountain lion or something when he was just 20."

Zach hummed, chewing thoughtfully. After swallowing, he said, "Sounds like there's more to Uncle Ezra than we originally thought." He paused, then turned to Damon. "He was supposed to go out for a late lunch with Caroline and catch up, but stood her up."

Damon took another drink. "Huh. Well, next time you see him, I wanna meet him."

I groaned. "Damon, you are not going to grill my new found Uncle!"

Damon's hands went up defensively, but the smirk said otherwise. "Easy there, Blondie, I'm not gonna scare away your hunter uncle, as much as I'd like to."

We all were quiet for a few moments, before Damon swiveled his head towards the door.

"Huh, look what the cat dragged in."

Stefan walked into the kitchen, looking like he was deep in thought.

"So, I guess Jeremy wrote a report on vampires." He announced, leaning against the island.

"Alaric was telling me about that." I said, getting off the counter. "Any idea why he would? Do you think he possibly remembers?"

Damon shook his head, incredulous. "Klaus took away all those memories, and not only is Klaus a vampire, but he's  _extremely_  old. He's more powerful than Stefan and I combined. So no way he could remember."

I nodded slowly.

"Did you tell Elena?"

He immediately stiffened. "Uh...yeah. She said she'd try talking about it to him."

Damon and I shared a suspicious glance, but neither of us said anything.

Stefan left the room, and I could hear him trudging up stairs.

 _I'll talk to him_. I mouthed, and Damon nodded.

_Good._

I followed him upstairs, and managed to catch him in the hall.

"Stef," I called to him. "Can we talk?"

He paused, his body language tense. "Sure," he said after a moment, and we went into my room.

"Are you okay? Really?"

He was silent, looking down, and avoiding my gaze.

"C'mon, Stef. Let me in. I want to help."

I inched closer, sitting next to him on my bed.

"I can't help unless you let me," I continued, and his shoulders drooped.

"I almost lost control, Care," he said so softly I almost didn't hear him. "I had to push myself away...if I didn't...I don't know what would have happened..."

I sighed, and against my better judgment, I wrapped my arms around him, hugging him tightly.

"Ah, Stefan, I'm sorry," I squeezed him tightly, and he hugged me back, hesitantly at first.

"It's okay, I trust you," I encouraged, and he hugged me tightly right back, his face in my hair. "I know it has to be hard, but I know you can do it. You can get through all your cravings and all your -"

I felt him squeeze me tighter, and I cried out, breathless.

"Stefan," I whimpered timidly, thrashing in his grip.

He was shaking in my arms, and I closed my eyes, willing my scared heart to slow.

He suddenly threw himself against my bedroom door, and ran out in a blur.

I scooted back against my headboard, trembling.

I sat there for a few hours, hating myself for being  _scared_  of one my  _best_  friends, and hating that I had a good reason to be.

For the first time in my life, I wished I was a vampire, but only for their strength. I knew I couldn't be as strong as them as a human, but I knew then and there – I wanted to  _stop_  being afraid.

_Vampires had intimidated me and thrown me around long enough, and I was tired of it._

"Hey, Blondie." Damon said, barging into my room.

I could feel his gaze on me as I sat on my bed, knees to chest, head between knees.

"What's wrong?"

The bed dipped with his weight.

"Did you chip a nail or something?" He continued, his voice still having a light tone to it.

"Stefan- almost..." I choked out, shivering.

"What?" His light tone evaporated from his voice.

Damon's hand brushed a lock of my hair behind my ear, trying to get a look at my face. "What happened?"

When I didn't respond, he repeated himself, more forceful this time.

"Caroline. I  _need_ you to tell me what happened."

I made myself look at him, knowing my eyes were puffy from my frustrated tears.

I explained to him what had happened as calmly as I could, keeping my eyes averted from his.

"Are you scared of him, Care?" Zach asked, I jumped, not having heard him come in.

"N-no. He's one of my best friends, and I  _hate_  that I have to be careful around him all of a sudden. I  _hate_  treating my best friend like he's a ticking time bomb." I took a deep breath, and looked Damon in the eyes, then turned to Zach. "I hate feeling so helpless and weak."

_I hate living with creatures I should be afraid of..._

Damon got up, without saying a word. He left the room, leaving Zach and I to ourselves.

"Caroline," He said, sitting next to me on the bed. "I think it's time for us to move."

~0~

**Earlier that day...**

" _Caroline, can I talk to you?" Alaric asked me at the end of class._

" _Sure." I said, waving goodbye to my friends as they exited the room._

_As the room cleared, I walked over to the desk, trying to figure out what'd I'd done now._

" _Can I ask you something?" he said, getting up from his desk chair._

_I nodded slowly, frowning. "Of course, Ric."_

" _How do you deal with it all?" His blue eyes_

_I must have looked as lost as I felt, because he continued. "With all the lies and secrets...you can't tell anyone about the people you live with, and your uncle Zach doesn't want to know what's going on, right?"_

_I nodded. "I'm really thankful that I have him, though. He's helped me so much. God knows where I'd be now if he didn't step up and remind the court that he was my godfather."_

" _What about your other friends?" He asked, talking about the ones that I talked to and sat with in his class._

" _It's not safe for them to know the truth. I keep it from them, but only because I love them. Like Zach, I keep them on a need-to-know basis. That's how Bonnie is too." I said, rambling now. "She doesn't really like Stefan because of what happened in the past, but..." I shrugged. "I think – I hope – she accepts that I'm friends with him, and she's just gonna have to go with it."_

_Alaric was silent for a long while. "I think Stefan is a good guy. But at the end of the day, Care, he's still a vampire – just like Damon and Klaus. Sometimes, I think you forget that."_

_I exhaled, looking down. "I know...and you're right...sometimes I do forget...I just know that Stefan wouldn't do anything to hurt me."_

" _And what about the other two?" he pressed, studying me carefully._

_I swallowed, my mind drifting to Klaus and Damon._

" _I-I don't know." I admitted, as much to him as to myself._

**Present Day**

I stared at my godfather in shock.

"What?"


	46. Under Control : Part Two

_Previously on Everything Changes..._

" _N-no. He's one of my best friends, and I hate that I have to be careful around him all of a sudden. I hate treating my best friend like he's a ticking time bomb." I took a deep breath, and looked Damon in the eyes, then turned to Zach. "I hate feeling so helpless and weak."_

_Damon got up, without saying a word. He left the room, leaving Zach and I to ourselves._

" _Caroline," He said, sitting next to me on the bed. "I think it's time for us to move."_

_I stared at my godfather in shock._

" _What?"_

* * *

**Caroline's POV**

"Move?!" I practically shrieked, tears quickly drying. "I just got here, Zach! We can't – we can't just up and move every time something bad happens!"

Zach got up off the bed, sighing. "You don't have to pack up and leave, Care. I promised your mom that I'd protect you from..." he gestured to the house. "All of this. Being in this house right now...it's breaking a promise I swore I'd keep."

"Stefan hasn't hurt me, and neither has Damon!" I countered, crossing my arms.

"Not yet," He said quietly, his hand going up to the self-consciously rub the scar on his neck he'd shown me when I'd first arrived. "All I'm saying, all I'm  _suggesting_  is that we just...take a...  _vacation_  from here for a while, move into the apartment complex in town."

I gnawed on my lip, deep in thought.

Anna's words suddenly echoed in my mind.

_'You make a big ruckus, shrieking and screaming. You even try to escape – but then you go right back to that house and live in a house full of what you run from.'_

_"_ _You asked me almost two months ago, if I felt safe here, Caroline. You wouldn't have even brought it up, if you didn't feel safe yourself." His kind eyes stared down at my green ones, and he smiled slightly._

_"_ _Just think about it, okay?"_

Still chewing on the corner of my lip, I nodded.

"Okay, but no promises," I added, as an after-thought.

He chuckled, nodding. He paused at the door, and I suddenly remembered something.

"I should have asked before, but I told Uncle Ezra that we could have dinner here tomorrow night. Is that alright?"

Zach sighed, rubbing his face. "I won't have time to go to the store until tomorrow night, want me to reschedule for you?"

I exhaled slowly.  _The universe was just against Ezra and I talking!_  "Yes, please."

~0~

The next day, I sat in my usual place – on my window seat – and pulled out my diary. Instead of starting off with an entry, I simply wrote the date – November 25th – and started to list the pros and cons of moving out.

_Dear Diary,_

_Pros:_

_~ Vampire protection barrier_

_~ Closer to school = less gas money = more shopping money_

_~ Safer b/c Zach controls who can come in & out._

_~ Maybe I could get a break from all the vampire drama._

_Cons:_

_~ No vampires to protect me from others._

_~ Moving_ _again_

_~ Moving out would make Stefan think I was afraid of him – & I do not want to be afraid of my best friend!_

_Zach thinks it'd be best if we moved out for a while, but I'm not so sure I want to...I mean, I did just get settled in. Maybe it's for the best though, sometimes I do feel uncomfortable not having the barrier. I'm really conflicted, as I know Stefan & Damon wouldn't hurt me for no reason, but Stefan isn't exactly in his right mind right now...he's struggling, & it worries me._

_Now that I think more about it, moving out couldn't really hurt, right? If anything, I'd have more 'me-time', and less time spent worrying if Damon or someone is going to pop into my room uninvited._

_I promised Zach I'd give him an answer by tomorrow morning, so I'm going to think a bit more & then decide. The kickoff party is in a few hours, so I'm going to go get ready._

_Love,_

_Caroline_

~0~

**Third Person POV**

Stefan and Damon walked up the short staircase into the upper level of the patio.

"Oh, God," Stefan said, making a face and looking around. "I shouldn't be here."

Damon exhaled dramatically, heading farther into the party with Stefan trailing behind.

"C'mon, don't be a downer! It's a party for the founding families! That'd be us. It'd be rude to skip it." The raven haired man turned casually in a circle, scanning the crowd for his favorite sassy blonde.

Stefan furrowed his brows, scratching his head. "I...I really liked you a whole lot better when you hated everybody."

Damon smirked. "Oh...I still do." He chuckled. "I just  _love_ that they  _love_ me." He smiled tightly before his gaze drifted to his brother. "How ya feeling, brother?"

Stefan avoided his gaze, scanning the crowd. Part of him hoped Elena wouldn't had come, but he knew she probably would. "I'm good, I'm fine." he said hurriedly.

Damon turned towards his brother, studying him. "No cravings? No urges?" The corners of his mouth turned down, brows raising. "Is that whiskey you've been drinking all day doing it's job?" He said lowly.

Stefan laughed, shaking his head.

"We are who we are, Stefan," Damon continued, exhaling while he spoke; still scanning for Caroline. "Pretending doesn't change that."

Stefan scoffed, flashing his brother a tight-lipped smile. "Nothing would make you happier than just to see me give in, huh, Damon?"

The man in question shrugged. "Whatever, it's inevitable."

"Well, I'm going to find Elena..." said Stefan eagerly, walking off.

"Don't embarrass me, young man!" Damon called after him loudly, pointing. He laughed, the dimple in his cheek indenting as he smirked.

"Shouldn't Stefan be saying that to you?" A familiar voice said to Damon, and he smirked wider, turning to face Caroline.

"What, little ole me?" He took in her simple outfit – a blue sweater paired with a black polka-dot circle skirt and blue peep-toe heels; and smirked wider.

 _Miss Caroline Forbes never ceased to outdo the once lovely Chandra Ambrose._ Damon realized.

"Yes, 'little ole you'!" She retorted, blue-green eyes flaming.

He chuckled at her retort, and glanced down again at her heels. The blue shoes made her a tad bit taller than him.

"Careful Blondie. Don't break your ankle." Damon flashed her a flirty wink before swaggering off.

Caroline rolled her eyes, and walked over to Klaus, whom she noticed was hanging around by the bar.

"Evening, Klaus." She greeted, dipping her head.

His usually arrogant posture was now somber, and he tipped back a shot glass.

"Caroline," He stated, nodding back at her.

"Rum and coke, minus the rum, please," She said to the bartender.

Turning to him, she raised her eyebrow. "What's wrong with you?"

He shot her a sidelong glance, taking another shot. "Family issues, is all."

 _Family issues?_ She echoed confusingly in her mind.

"Care to elaborate?" Caroline asked gently, not wanting to push a slightly drunk vampire.

"Not really, love," He shoved the empty glass away and got up, walking away.

"Oh-kay," Care murmured, pushing her hair behind her ear.

The bartender gave her the glass and she took a sip, cringing when she tasted the rum.

 _I said minus the rum you bozo._  She huffed, setting the glass back down.

Caroline was no stranger to hangovers, but was never a fan of any of the strong stuff.

Stefan walked over, and Elena wandered over a moment later.

_Screw it._

She took a long swig, resisting the urge to grimace at the taste. Stefan had been worrying her, heck,  _all_  the vampires had been worrying her. She could use a little loosening up.

She cast the couple a glance, noticing Elena stare at Stefan uncertainly after he kissed her on the cheek.

"Are you drunk?" Elena asked disbelievingly.

"Okay," Stefan leaned against the wall, staring down at the shorter girl. "I know...it's a little weird, but it's really helping! The alcohol takes the...edge off."

Elena giggled like a schoolgirl. "You're totally that hot, drunk, high school guy at adult parties sneaking booze."

Caroline rolled her eyes, and took another long sip.

"I totally am, yeah," Stefan confirmed, and Caroline glanced at them again. After a bit more talking, they went to dance.

When Care went to find some of her friends, and maybe see if Matt was here, Ezra walked up to her.

"Hello Caroline!"

"Hi, Uncle Ezra," She responded with a small smile. "Sorry we had to reschedule again."

"Ah, it's fine," He shrugged it off, and he motioned to a tall table.

The pair went to stand there, and they caught up for a while. After the awkward new family member chit-chat was over, the music changed, more upbeat now.

~0~

**Caroline's POV**

"When did this happen?" I called over to Matt, who was standing with Elena at the next table over.

Elena grinned like a Cheshire cat. "DJ had a change of heart."

I nodded knowingly. One of the guys must have compelled him.

"Do you wanna dance?" Matt came over and asked. "That is, if you don't mind me stealing you from..."

"My uncle Ezra," I finished, knowing he wasn't sure who he was.

"I'm Matt," Matt extended his hand, shaking Ezra's firmly.

"Nice to meet you, Matt. Ezra," Ezra smiled, and shooed me away. "Go on, we can catch up later."

I beamed at Matt. "I guess I want to dance!"

"Good!" He said loudly, grabbing my hand and pulling me onto the dance floor.

Stopping suddenly, I fell into his chest, laughing.

"This isn't dancing, Matt."

"It is now!" He said in my ear, over the music.

He backed away, pulling my arm so I would spin back towards him.

We danced for a while, laughing and goofing off, when the music changed to a more slow song. A few moments later, I saw a black sleeve clad arm tap Matt on the shoulder. We looked up to see who the black shirt belonged to.

 _Klaus_.

"Mind if I cut in? No? Good," He asked, though he didn't wait for an answer; cutting in and taking my hand.

Matt scoffed and glared daggers into Klaus' back.

 _Sorry_. I mouthed over the vampire's shoulder to Matt.

He shook his head, and headed back to the tables.

"Hello, love. You look ravishing in that color," Klaus purred in my ear.

We swayed in a small circle, one hand on my waist, politely away from my bottom, and his other encircling my hand.

"Sorry to cut in," He murmured.

"Don't waste your breath, Klaus. You know you aren't sorry," I countered, avoiding his gaze.

Klaus may have helped with Stefan, but it didn't make up for his part in kidnapping Bonnie and I. I  _had_  to keep reminding myself that, or his charm would make me forget. It was easier to be mad at him...

Klaus quickly smothered his laugh. I rolled my eyes and stared out over the floor. As we danced in a slow circle, I noticed Ezra staring fiercely at Klaus and I, his fist clenching around his glass.

_Strange._

"Hm, I think we've made someone jealous," Klaus said after another period of silence. "Look." He gestured with our entwined hands at Damon, who kept glancing over at us, almost subconsciously.

Klaus suddenly pulled me to him with the hand resting on my waist. I thudded into his chest with an exclamation. He then dipped me down low, his face closing the distance to mine. Staring down into my eyes, he smirked, hearing something I could not. After a second, he pulled me back up, and we continued to dance like normal.

"Don't do that again," I warned, staring up the short distance to his eyes. "Seriously."

When I was facing where Damon was before, he was gone.

~0~

**Third Person POV**

"Damon Salvatore, I'm surprised you don't have a dance partner," Rudy joked, going over to Damon, whom had just walked outside under the stars.

"Eh, I'm not in the mood for dancing right now, Rudy," Damon replied, actively trying to smother the bitter tone.

"You know, I had my doubts about you at first, but like everyone else on the council, you've won me over," Rudy commented.

Damon grinned, and took a champagne from the waitress that passed by.

"Thanks Rudy. It's really nice how...welcoming... the council has been. I feel like Mystic Falls is home again."

Rudy smiled, taking a took a sip of his own glass of champagne. "Glad to hear it, Damon. I'd hate to be the bearer of bad news, but..." Setting his glass down on the counter, he sighed. "John Gilbert and Ezra Forbes' claims check out. The blood banks, the missing people, whole nine-yards – all true...we might just have another problem on our hands."

Damon was trying to determine a response, when little Jeremy Gilbert appeared.

"Excuse me Sheriff, sorry to interrupt." He looked down sheepishly before continuing. "I was curious if there's been any more information about what happened to Vicki Donovan.

Rudy smiled sadly and said, "It was an overdose, Jeremy."

Damon kept his expression blank, careful to not reveal any emotion. He had to admit, he was surprised how easily Rudy lied to the boy.

"Yeah, but her body was buried," Jeremy continued, and Damon sighed to himself. "Somebody must have done that!"

The vampire shifted his weight to his other foot, staring off at the couples dancing, spotting Klaus and Caroline dancing. Emotion rose, and he felt his chest tighten, he promptly shut it away and turned his attention back. Jeremy was leaving, leaving Damon and Rudy to themselves once more.

Meanwhile, Caroline managed to finally get rid of Klaus, after being forced to dance with him for three songs. The dances weren't unpleasant, of course, as Klaus was a wonderful dancer, but he wasn't Caroline's first pick as a dance partner.

"Please dance with your alcoholic vampire best friend," A deep voice came from behind the blonde, who turned around.

Stefan stood there, his hand extended.

Caroline flashed him a wide grin, taking his hand. They danced to a few upbeat songs, when Caroline stumbled back into Elena, who stumbled into a man, almost knocking him over.

~0~

**Caroline's POV**

"Wow! Watch it!" The older man snapped at Elena and I.

"I'm sorry," I apologized, feeling bad. "I bumped into my friend, who bumped into you."

"I'm clumsy," Elena said, giggling nervously.

"Then why don't the two of you get off the dance floor," The man sneered at the two of us, and I had the sneaking suspicion he was a bit drunk.

"Excuse me?" I scoffed at him, hands on my hips.

"You're excused, dumb ass." Still scowling at us, he turned away.

Stefan was suddenly in front of us, grabbing the man's arm firmly and jerking him back around.

"That's no way to talk to a lady."

"Whatever, man." He tried to pull away, but again, Stefan pulled him back.

"I think you need to apologize."

His voice was dangerously low and calm, and I could tell Stefan was compelling him.

"I'm sorry," the man said, the compulsion taking effect.

Stefan eased up off his arm, letting him go.

He seemed to change his mind, grabbing him again.

"Now, say it like you mean it."

Staring blankly at the two of us, he said robotically, "I'm really, really, sorry."

I stared nervously at Stefan, having never seen this side of him. I'd smelt the alcohol wafting from his breath when we were dancing, but I didn't think he was acting this...off.

"Stefan," I said gently, prying his grip away, with Elena's help. "It's okay, really."

"Now walk away," He growled, before turning to us, gaze softening.

Stefan hugged Elena, cradling her head in his hand. "Are you okay?"

She nodded, and he turned to me.

"You alright too, Care?"

I swallowed, my heart slowing as he became his usual self.

"Yeah, are you?"

We gazed at each other for a tense moment before he nodded.

"I'm going to go get a drink," I said over the music, going over to the bar.

~0~

**Third Person POV**

Damon was out on the balcony standing, staring off into space.

"Damon, right?" A voice spoke up, and Damon turned to see Ezra and John looking at him curiously.

"John, Ezra," The raven haired man greeted, bobbing his head at the both.

"We didn't get a chance to meet at the council," Ezra explained. "And I figured since you're the...nephew of Care's godfather, it couldn't hurt to get to know you more." He flashed a toothy smile, though it did not reach his eyes.

"Yeah, great idea!" Damon shook Ezra's hand. "Are you enjoying the kick-off?"

"Oh yeah," John answered, despite the question being directed to his companion. "I bet Ezra here forgot how much fun these small town celebrations could be!"

Ezra chuckled, nodding slowly.

"Yeah," said Damon, plastering a strained smile onto his face.

For some reason, Damon really didn't like John, whether it was his attitude, or something else, Damon didn't know.

"So when's the last time the two of you were here?"

"I came for my sister-in-law's funeral," Ezra grimaced, and Damon recalled hearing Caroline mention to Zach that Ezra and Liz never got along.

"How long have you been in town, Damon?" John asked, avoiding the question.

"Oh, not too long," he waved his hand, keeping his response vague.

"So, what do you think, Damon?" Ezra asked. "Y'know, this whole vampire problem is a real thing, right? It could end up a blood bath."

"Yeah," Damon scoffed. "Worse-case scenario."

"He's not over-reaction, Damon." John crossed his arms and glanced over Damon's shoulder at something, but the elder Salvatore didn't turn to look.

"Personally, I think it's just like 1864 all over again." The corner of Ezra's mouth twitched up, and John and him met gazes. "What with vampires running amok." He laughed. "I guess we'll have to hunt the bastards down, stuff them in that church, and burn them to ash."

Ezra's blue eyes carefully measured Damon's reaction to the suggestion, but Damon was able to hold back...most of it anyways.

The corner of Damon's eye twitched, ever so slightly, causing an arrogant smirk to slide onto John's face.

"That's the story, huh?" Damon mused, playing it off.

"Part of it, at least," John said, still smirking stared at Damon intently.

According to his source, Damon was a loose cannon at times, and if you pushed his buttons enough, you could get him to fire.

"Oh, there's more?" Damon's piercing blue eyes widened as if this was news to him.

"Oh, there's _a lot_ more." Ezra mirrored John's expression, and Damon realized why they called him Jackass John. "See, it seems there was a tomb under the church, where vampires were hidden, waiting for someone to come along and set them free. But then you both already knew that didn't you?"

Klaus walked up beside Damon, his temper bubbling at the surface. Working his jaw, Klaus barked a short laugh. "Ri-ight."

"I mean, it's  _obvious_  the two of you opened it." John shrugged. "Nobody else in this miniscule town has the brains or the motivation that you two have."

 _Chandra Ambrose_. Ezra mouthed, smirking widely.

Klaus snarled, and Damon was already threatening him, living up to the loose cannon reputation.

"You do realize we could rip out your throats before anyone could notice?"

"Yeah, but you wouldn't want to damage your already wounded relationship with Caroline, would you? I've been around longer than you think, Damon, I've seen things, heard things." Ezra's smirk faded to a fierce look. "I'm warning you both. Stay away from my niece. My brother would have killed you at first sight if he'd been-"

"Yeah, yeah, okay, whatever. You both obviously ingest vervain, so..." Klaus cut him off, his wolfish grin appearing on his face.

"Why don't you take a bite to find out, vampire?" John dared, and Klaus smiled, almost genuinely.

"It's not worth my time, mate," Klaus shrugged, and the two men smiled at each other.

"Klaus," Damon said, so lowly it would be impossible for the humans to hear. "Don't."

Ezra had read Damon's lips, and laughed. "Yeah Damon, protect your boyfriend."

The loose cannon snapped, and he bashed the men's heads together, and threw Ezra's limp body off the balcony, leaving John unconscious on the ground.

Somewhere behind them, Caroline inhaled sharply, hand flying to her mouth.

Damon turned around, his face a mess of rage. When Klaus and Damon laid eyes on Caroline, whose eyes were filling with tears, Damon's face contorted with guilt.

"Care," He said, stepping towards her, looking regretful.

"Don't," Caroline staggered backwards. "I can't even look at you two right now." Her hand flew to her mouth and a sob shook her chest.

~0~

**Caroline's POV**

_I couldn't believe Damon had done that, and Klaus had simply stood and watched, that damn smirk on his face._

Part of me wanted to rush down to Ezra, check on him to see if he was okay, but something told me not to. Maybe it was the fear that he wasn't alive, or perhaps even not wanting to confront the fact that he knew Damon was a vampire.

As I went back downstairs, intending on leaving, I heard a screech.

I ran towards the sound, which was just by the exit.

Matt was punching Tyler, while Kelly stood over to the side, head bleeding.

"Matt, Tyler, stop!" Elena said, trying her best to rip them off one another.

"Help!" I instinctively called, and Alaric suddenly came rushing out, pulling the boys apart.

Tyler's dad came over, and ushered Tyler away, leaving Matt bleeding.

Elena, her face conflicted, left Matt.

I scoffed, going over to my blonde friend.

"Here, let me see," I murmured, kneeling at his side.

"Where is she?" Matt asked, looking up at me.

His blue eyes were filled with anger and annoyance, matching the fierce looking black eye that was already beginning to form on the right side of his face.

"I'm not sure, Matty. Keep your head up," I grabbed a tissue out of my purse, and pressed it to a small slit in his forehead. "Keep it up here." I brought his hand up and pressed down, staunching the flow.

I got up and headed back inside, looking for Kelly.

After looking to no avail, I stumbled across Tyler.

"What did you do?" I demanded, stomping over to him.

"I didn't do anything, Caroline!" He growled, slouching into the armchair. "Kelly was alone, and I was walking her to her car. She looked lonely and sad, and I was alone, and, she fell into me. Matt thought...Matt thought something was going on, and..." he sighed, letting me finish the rest.

"Well, you should have tried to explain, at least!" I chided, shaking my head.

Tyler looked away, brooding.

~0~

**Third Person POV**

Damon sauntered over to Stefan, who was standing off to the side of the party.

"Alright, you wanna hear the bad news, or the really bad news?" He murmured.

Stefan groaned, appearing pained. "Actually, I don't want any news, Damon."

Damon rolled his eyes dramatically, and continued. "Alright, let me rephrase. Do you want to hear how the council is back in vampire mode, or..." he trailed off, staring at his brother's chest. "...how I probably just killed Uncle Ezra Forbes and  _perhaps_  Uncle John Gilbert?"

Guilty feelings swam in Damon's chest. "Did I mention that Caroline saw me do so?"

"What?" Stefan asked incredulously, thinking he didn't understand him.

Damon smirked, putting on an air of carelessness. "Great party by the way." Smirking quickly again, he patted his brother's shoulder and walked away.

Stefan began to go after her, but the warm smell of blood caught his nose, and he froze, dead in his tracks. Turning slowly, he saw Kelly Donovan, sitting in the small room alone, crying.

"Is everything alright?" Stefan asked, approaching her.

Kelly shook her head furiously. "I ruined it – or at least...Matty thinks I ruined it," she babbled.

Stefan slowly knelt down, staring lustfully at the blood on her forehead.

With shaking hands, he reached out and touched the blood, pulling away slowly; his fingers crimson.

While this was going on, Damon turned to see a very much alive Ezra walk in, brushing off his shoulder.

"You've got to be kidding me," he grumbled to himself.

Not even a moment later, John glided down the stairs, looking fine as ever.

Damon growled, unsure of why both men had so  _magically_  came back to good health.

The Mayor got up and started to say some long welcoming speech.

He stared intently at each man as they both picked up a mallet, and rang the old bronze bell from 1864. A silver ring glinted from each of their fingers, and Damon sighed.

_Bingo._

During this time, Damon found Alaric in the crowd. "The town's new favorite sons...look at their rings."

Alaric's eyes widened as he zeroed in on the rings that were identical to his own.

Stefan tore himself away from Kelly, quickly heading in to the parking lot. Still trying to tear his ears away from the sound of beating hearts, he ran into the man he had compelled earlier.

He pushed him, and Stefan groaned.

 _Not now,_  he growled to himself.

"You don't want to do this, man," Stefan warned, teeth clenched; incisors tingling.

The man pushed him again. "Sorry 'bout that, too. Hm, all I can do is apologize. What's that about?"

"Get out of my way. Please," Stefan tried to walk around the man, to get away from the pestering temptation, but to no avail.

"No girls to show off for? I see how it is," The drunk man chuckled dryly.

Fist flying towards Stefan, the vampire's hand darts out and catches it. Stefan pushed the man to the floor, his vampire face emerging.

"What are you, man?"

~0~

**Caroline's POV**

After I got Matt some ice and Advil, I made my way to my car. When I was leaving, I heard Ezra and John talking, and I knew, somehow they were fine. I would definitely have to talk to Damon about this later. And by talk, I mean yell at.

A groan met my ears, and I hesitantly walked over to the same man who had been so rude to me and Elena. He was lying on the ground, arm swollen and twisted awkwardly.

"Hey! Are you alright? What happened?"

I helped him up.

"My arm," he explained, voice empty. "I lost my balance and fell.  _I'm clumsy_."

_Stefan..._

In that moment, I took a proverbial step towards my decision.

_To Elena →_

_hey, could I come spend the night? the whole thing w/ Stef is stressing me out. Damon killed my unc too, but somehow he's alive. Talk more later._

_Send._

My phone chimed twice the time I arrived back at the Boarding House.

_To Caroline →_

_sure, Stef was acting weird to me 2, & I can't believe Damon did that...c u in a few xx_

Running inside, I threw my night clothes, toiletries, and diary into my bag before texting Zach, who had gotten roped into another graveyard shift at his work.

_To Zach →_

_spending night at Elena's figured I'd take some time away from b. house xx_

_Send._

After waiting for a response I got into my car and headed to Elena's, happy that I was able to get my stuff and go without Damon or Stefan being around.

~0~

**Third Person POV**

When Caroline arrived, she and Elena decided to go sit on the front porch to talk. Jeremy, having seen Caroline write in her diary before, knew it would be the place to look for answers. Caroline and Elena both knew something, but neither of them would tell him what. This could be the only way to learn the truth.

Quietly exiting his room, he crept inside Elena's and spotted Care's bag sitting at the end of the bed. Jer glanced at the door before rummaging through Caroline's bag. He pulled out a small book, and flipped open the first page.

He saw Caroline's name written in her large handwriting, and began to quickly scan through the pages.

_His eyes widened as he came across new information._

_A certain hybrid-vampire tried to compel me..._

_Probably since I spend most of my time around sneaky vampires..._

_Poor Matt found Vicki's body when he was getting my car for me._

Jer's eyes widened, and he flipped back, trying to follow back to the date when Vicki went missing.

 _Bingo._  He thought victoriously.

 _'Diary Diary,'_ Jermey's eyes scanned across Caroline's words, desperately trying to find what he was looking for.

' _I found Vicki in the Boarding House today, a newborn vampire.'_  Caroline had written. ' _Damon killed her. I honestly don't care anymore. I know that people could get hurt if this fell into the wrong hands, but Damon killed the girl! And then, she went to the Halloween party as a vampire, and Klaus ended up staking her because she attacked me. Poor Jeremy saw it all, and Elena decided it was best if he forgot it all. He was really depressed, and it scared even me.'_

The entry trailed on, rambling about bits and pieces, but Jeremy had read enough. A scowl embedded in his forehead, he forced himself to calmly place the book back in it's place. Leaving the room, he goes back into his own, slamming the door furiously.

~0~

At the Donovan residence, Matt was in his mom's bedroom, furiously throwing clothes into her suitcase. Kelly stumbled into the bedroom, still a bit drunk; head bandaged.

"Matt!" She cried, running over to him. "What are you doing?"

"I've had enough, Mom!" He growled, but his eyes were watering. "I want you outta here by morning!"

"Matt!-" Kelly tried to say.

"No Mom, I don't want to hear it!"

"Matt," Kelly raised her voice, grabbing his arm and making him look at her. "I  _didn't_  kiss him, and Tyler didn't kiss me. I was...drunk...and I tripped over my own feet, and he stopped me from falling." She insisted, for once being truthful.

He paused, blue eyes searching hers. "Fine."

He threw her suitcase onto the floor, and left the room.

~0~

Klaus was nowhere to be found when Damon and Alaric saw John and Ezra leaving, whispering quietly.

Following the men, Damon blurred forward, closer to them.

"Going somewhere?" he asked, and the pair turned around.

Ric finally caught up, coming to stand beside Damon.

Ric had nothing against the men, but he knew they were trouble, arrogant trouble.

"I've never liked to be the last to leave a party," Ezra shrugged, eying Alaric like he was a bag of trash. "Too desperate. You're going to kill one of us again, or you gonna let teacher boy here do your dirty work?"

Alaric clenched his fist. "Okay, so you obviously know who I am."

John snorted. "Obviously. Alaric Saltzman. High school teacher by day, vampire hunter who's best friends with a vampire by night."

"Sure know a lot for someone who just got here," Damon said lowly, and Ezra laughed.

John simply smiled snidely. "Our knowledge combined is more than you can possibly imagine, Damon. The facts of this town we know goes beyond anything the both of you – and the council – could possibly know."

Damon worked his jaw, and Ric knew his friend was getting annoyed with their attitudes. The hunter hated Damon at times, but he had to admit, he could be a halfway decent person when he wanted to.

"I can see your gears moving, vampire. If you're thinking of doing some half-assed snatch ring kill move, know that if one of us dies, everything we know will be emailed straight to the council," Ezra continued for John. "Including a fascinating little tale of the original Salvatore brothers and their present day return to Mystic Falls."

Damon's eyes widened, shocked. He was left speechless, and so was Alaric. The teacher never exactly realized how old Damon really was.

"How did you get that ring?" Ric asked, breaking the silence.

John and Ezra met eyes, smiling mysteriously. "I take it you aren't apart of the club, then," Ezra said

"I wouldn't have given it to Isobel if I'd known she hand it over to another guy," John explained. "I inherited this one from my brother, Gray."

"So you did know her," Damon murmured, squinting his eyes.

"Who'd you think send her your way when she wanted to become a vampire?" John smirked, shifting his weight to his left foot.

" _You_  sent her?" the vampire's eyes widened and he sounded disbelievingly.

"Guilty," John shrugged. "Why, did you think someone else sent her?"

"Mmm," Ezra laughed. "Chandra Ambrose?"

"How do you know about Chandra?" Damon snarled, stepping forward.

"How do we know anything, Damon?" Ezra and John turned and started to walk off.

"What do you want?" Damon reached out and grabbed both men's shoulders, whirling them around.

"So many questions. It was a pleasure meeting you, Ric, I've heard so much about you," John smiled cryptically.

The two pulled their shoulders out of Damon's grip, and strode away.

~0~

Caroline and Elena moved up into Elena's bedroom, deciding to pick a movie to watch on the blonde's laptop. A movement in the mirror, caught Elena's eye, and she saw Stefan standing there. Both girls gasped, and Stefan looked nervous.

"Sorry," He apologized.

"I'll let you two talk," Caroline offered graciously, getting up and heading downstairs to get some water.

"Hey Jenna!" she chirped, waving at her friend's aunt, who was arranged comfortably on her couch.

"Hey, Caroline!" Jenna returned, looking up from the television. "Ready for the never ending stream of Founder's day events till Christmas next month?"

Care laughed. "Tell me about it."

When Caroline came back with her glass of water, Jenna stopped her. "Hey, would you mind checking on Jer for me? I'm not sure how he's doing...y'know, since Vicki was found and everything..."

Caroline nodded, smiling gently. "Poor kid. I'll check in on him."

"Thanks." Jenna leaned over and gave Care a quick hug, and the blonde scurried up the stairs.

She paused at Jeremy's door.

"Jer?" She knocked twice, before slowly creaking the door open.

"Hey. You alright?"

Jeremy was seated on his desk chair, headphones around his neck, bobbing to intense, rage-fueled music.

"Fine," he replied stiffly, and Caroline frowned.

"Are you-?"

"I said, I'm fine, Caroline. Stop being so pushy, gosh," He snapped, and Caroline frowned deeper.

"I-I'm sorry," Swiftly leaving the room, she entered to find Elena on the bed, already waiting.

~0~

Kelly met the contact outside her home later that night.

"I managed to stay," she whispered, and the contact nodded.

"Good. Have you spoke to the girl?"

She nodded. "Yes, I gave her a ride home, but I think she sensed something was off."

"Does she know?"

Kelly nibbled on her lip, looking away. "I think so."

"She would have to be blind to not," The shadowy figure responded, and handed Kelly a thick envelope. "Thank you. Further instructions from them are in here."

Kelly laughed breathlessly, nodding. "O-okay."

" _Don't screw it up,"_ The contact hissed, before leaving.

~0~

Damon sat on the couch in the living room, staring into the fire blazing in the fireplace. He took a long swig of bourbon, trying to determine the best way to deal with the Jackass-Ezra issue. His younger brother entered.

"We have a major problem, Stefan," Damon said, not turning around. "And when I say major problem, I mean global crisis. It seems Uncle Jackass and Uncle Ezra have..." He turned around, and Stefan did not look okay.

"Caroline's not here," Stefan said as a matter of factly. "Good." Legs trembling, he eased himself into the seat next to the couch where Damon was settled.

"You don't look so good. Its different this time, isn't it? The need is too strong. Of course it would be after all these years," Damon chuckled dryly, and got up. Placing the glass on the table by Stefan, he touched his shoulder, looking at him.

"Have a good night, brother."

Damon left, but paused outside the door, listening intently.

Inside, Stefan stared at the glass, a dark part of him daring himself to take it and drink.

Reaching out to the glass, his fingertips brushed the chilled surface, and he greedily brought it to his mouth. He downed the blood in one gulp. He stared at the empty cup in his hand and growled, throwing it into the fireplace.

 


	47. Who Are You Really? : Part One

_Previously on Everything Changes..._

_Damon sat on the couch in the living room, staring into the fire blazing in the fireplace. He took a long swig of bourbon, trying to_ _determine_ _the best way to deal with the Jackass-Ezra issue. His younger brother entered._

_"We have a major problem, Stefan," Damon said, not turning around. "And when I say major problem, I mean global crisis. It seems Uncle Jackass and Uncle Ezra have..." He turned around, and Stefan did not look okay._

_"Caroline's not here," Stefan said as a matter of factly. "Good." Legs trembling, he eased himself into the seat next to the couch where Damon was settled._

_"You don't look so good. Its different this time, isn't it? The need is too strong. Of course it would be after all these years," Damon chuckled dryly, and got up. Placing the glass on the table by Stefan, he touched his shoulder, looking at him._

_"Have a good night, brother."_

_Damon left, but paused outside the door, listening intently._

_Inside, Stefan stared at the glass, a dark part of him daring himself to take it and drink._

_Reaching out to the glass, his fingertips brushed the chilled surface, and he greedily brought it to his mouth. He downed the blood in one gulp. He stared at the empty cup in his hand and growled, throwing it into the fireplace._

* * *

**Caroline's POV**

I woke the next morning on Elena's bed. We'd spent most of the night talking about Stefan and what'd gone on last night.

Elena was changing, I'd noticed. She was beginning to realize the severity of the situation we were in. It was easier for me to be friends with her now as well. She was being more compassionate, more caring. It was nice to finally see that part of her.

_~Late last night~_

" _Zach wants us to move," I mumbled, beginning to fall asleep. "He thinks that we aren't safe at the Boarding House, and that he's breaking a promise he made to my mom – that'd he keep me safe..."_

" _Stefan attacked me, the other day," Elena replied quietly. "We were...kissing...and he vamped out and almost attacked me." I could tell by the heaviness in her voice that she was just as tired as I was._

" _Was it yesterday evening?" I asked, thinking back to when he'd almost lost control around me._

" _Mhmm..." she murmured. "He felt really bad about it, I could tell." She exhaled heavily. "I hate how conflicted he is about all of this."_

_I nodded, and stared at Elena in the dim moonlight that was filtering in through her window._

" _Do you want to move?" She suddenly queried, and I shrugged._

" _Want to? No...But do I think it would be for the best if we did?" I nodded. "I hate being so helpless around vampires. I want to be strong and able to fight them off. Being a damsel in distress all the time is just..." I growled, not able to find the right word._

" _I understand," she whispered, and offered a small smile. "I'm sure..." she said slowly, sleep overtaking her. "Ric...could...teach you."_

_I hummed thoughtfully, rolling over. Drowsiness overtook my brain and I fell asleep._

"Good morning," I said to Elena, whom had just exited the bathroom.

"Morning, Care," she smiled warmly at me, and I noticed a cup of coffee in her hand.

"Ooo, there's coffee downstairs?"

Elena nodded and I grinned, jogging downstairs into the Gilbert's warm kitchen.

"Hey Jenna," I greeted _._

The auburn haired lady glanced up from her laptop and smiled. "Caroline! Morning!"

I pulled a mug out of the cabinet and filled the cup up, leaving room for a bit of cream and sugar. After fixing the cup to my liking, I headed back upstairs.

Elena and I spent our morning eating pancakes we'd decided to make, and watching Clueless and Dirty Dancing. After an uneventful yet enjoyable morning, I said goodbye and thanked Jenna for allowing me to stay over.

I arrived home, only to find Stefan no where to be found. Damon and Klaus, on the other hand, were in the parlor.

After further exploration, I saw Zach's keys in the bowl by the front door, and decided he was probably in his room catching up on sleep.

"Hello, Caroline," Klaus greeted as I walked through the parlor and into the kitchen.

I stopped in the doorway of the kitchen, sensing him behind me.

"Klaus." I turned around. "Hi."

Sure enough, he was standing behind me, a few feet away. Damon was perched on the arm of the couch, a glass of blood in his hand.

"What are you two talking about?" I smiled, moving my eyes back to Klaus'.

"Ah, just your dastardly Uncle and his Jackass of a companion," Damon said smoothly, setting down his glass and coming over to me.

"You didn't come home," Damon commented, wiggling his eyebrows as if I had a hot date.

"Yeah," I agreed vaguely. "I didn't."

For some reason, I didn't want him to know I'd been at Elena's – or that I had already decided to move out with Zach. Part of me wanted to see how he would react if we just up and left one morning.

"Where were ya then?" His intense gaze peered into my eyes. I felt heat rise to my cheeks.

"Around," I replied vaguely, before turning around and heading into the kitchen.

I grabbed a cup from the cupboard and filled it up with water, sensing the boys had followed me inside. I'd taken note of the weird feeling I got when any of the vampires were near me. It only tended to happen when I couldn't see them. My skin would crawl uncomfortably and my ears would get a slight ringing noise in them.

I wasn't sure what it could have possibly been from, but I wasn't  _too_  curious to find out. Probably just me being the neurotic, paranoid, control-freak that I am.

"I was at Elena's," I said as I turned around.

Sure enough, they were both hovering in the hallway, peering deviously inside.

"What did you guys do now?" Narrowing my eyes at them, I squeezed between them and headed back towards the staircase.

Damon started to explain, but I cut him off with a 'uh!'.

"Actually," I made a disgusted face. "I don't even want to know." I waved my hand and took a sip of my water, padding up the stairs.

~0~

After I had finished putting my things away and taking a shower, my phone vibrated. I didn't recognize the number, but I opened the message anyways.

_To Caroline →_

_care, it's your unc ezra. would u like 2 have a get to know u dinner at the Mexican restaurant in town 2nite?_

I smiled slightly.

_To Ezra →_

_Sure, which one & what time?_

Send.

I finished blow-drying my hair, waiting on the response message.

After it had completely dried, I checked my phone again

_To Caroline →_

_El Matador & at 6?_

The message read. Glancing at the small digital clock on my phone, I noticed it was already 4:30.

_To Ezra →_

_k that sounds good! C u there!_

Send.

I finished getting ready, taking my time. I didn't want to be ready too early, because then I would have to lounge around for a while.

The time to leave rolled around, and I stared at my reflection. I was wearing a soft cream floral shirt, white pants, a jean jacket, and my favorite light pink heels. My hair was in loose curl-waves and my makeup was light and natural. Slinging my brown bag over my shoulder, I trotted down the stairs and headed out the door.

I arrived at El Matador a few minutes before six, and decided to head in, just in case he'd already went inside.

"Hi," the young lady greeted me from behind the hostess' booth. "Just you?"

I shook my head, and stared searchingly at the crowd. "I'm here for my uncle."

His blonde hair caught my gaze, and I gestured to him. "Thank you anyways."

The lady nodded and I made my way to the row of booths. The booths were a dark orange, and another row was on the far side of the closest row, separated by a privacy divider. The divider had little avocados and black swirls intricately painted on them, and it gave the restaurant a good atmosphere.

"Hey," I greeted nervously, my stomach knotting.

"Caroline!" Ezra beamed widely at me. "I'm glad you could make it!"

I returned the smile and slid into the booth.

The waiter glided over to our table and took our drink orders. Ezra had chosen an unsweetened tea, while I decided to have water with lemon.

"So, Care – you don't mind if I call you Care, right?"

I smiled and shook my head, and he continued.

"Tell me something about yourself."

I thought for a while, sipping slowly on the drink the waiter had just sat in front of me.

"Well, I'm a junior and I turned 17 back in October."

I decided to start with the basics, and hoped he would ask questions so I could respond easier. I mean sure, I was a girl, and I did enjoy talking about myself, but sometimes it was hard to know what to say. I didn't want to make him think I'm a total airhead.

He nodded, absorbing the information. "What classes are you taking?"

"Algebra 2, English, American History and Interior Design this semester. I'm not sure what I'm going to take next semester yet," I replied and he smiled, nodding.

"I always hated math when I was in school. Your dad loved it," Ezra chuckled, and looked down at the menu.

"Really?" I asked, keeping my eyes on my own menu. "What was he like? My dad, I mean."

Ezra sighed and tapped his thumb idly on the menu. "Bill is...kind, for the most part. Definitely stubborn as a mule, loyal as possible, and loves family. You in particular." He shut the menu, seemingly making up his mind. "I remember when he found out that Liz was having a girl. They couldn't decide on a name for you. Your mom wanted Eliza, but your dad was so set on Caroline. He'd always ask all his friends which name they thought was better. Most of them picked Caroline."

He smiled, his eyes getting a faraway look in them. "He wanted a daughter, someone he could dote over and protect. Mom didn't really do either to him and I, so I think he enjoyed having the prospect of a daughter."

I held eye contact with him, but broke away and smiled. I glanced down at the menu and decided on a simple chicken enchilada.

"Mom never really talked much about him, and refused to mention you." I grabbed a chip and dipped the corner into salsa. "I know you two didn't get along."

Ezra did the same as I did, popping a chip into his mouth. After swallowing, he nodded. "Truth be told, we dated our freshman and sophomore years. I, being a hormonal and selfish teenage boy, cheated on her with her best friend." He made a face, appearing a bit embarrassed. "I can see why she hate- didn't like me."

We continued this pattern of chit-chat until our food arrived.

"So, I heard that Miss Mystic Falls is coming up in a few days," Ezra said after swallowing his bite of taco.

He'd ordered a beef taco and a beef chimichanga, both of which he'd drenched in special hot sauce.

I nodded, as I still was chewing my enchilada.

"Are you going to be in it this year?"

"Mmm." I shrugged my shoulders. "I don't know if I got picked this year. I mean yeah, I was doing lots of volunteer work before my mom died...but I dropped out of cheer leading and having been helping in the community much since then." I smiled uncertainly. "If I get selected like last year, then great! But if not, then that's okay too."

"I understand," Ezra said nonchalantly. "So, I noticed your friend Angelica is flaunting around a guy on her arm. Matt Donovan, right?"

I thought of Matt's rebound girl, and mentally commented how Matt was in fact, toting Angelica instead of the other way around.

"Yeah, why?" I said instead of commenting on Matt's rebound status.

"I'm surprised you don't have some boy following you around like that," he said, mouth partially full. "Pretty girl like you, smart. I bet you have to beat them away with sticks."

I grimaced wryly. "No boys, not really at least. I mean, my godfather's nephews, Stefan and Damon, they're great, but Stefan's more like my brother. Damon's like that annoying jock who you just want to kick where the sun doesn't shine all the time."

Ezra laughed, throwing his head back and looking a bit embarrassed when some of the people turned to look.

"Damon and Stefan Salvatore." he chuckled again, as if he couldn't help himself. "The things I've heard about those two."

I laughed with him, suddenly nervous.  _What could he have possibly heard?_

My uncle suddenly got serious, and he stared at me intensely. "I don't like how much you hang out with the two of them. Shouldn't you hang out with people more... your age...and your own species, perhaps?"

"More my age?" I asked in confusion. "My species? What are you even talking about?"

"Yes, Caroline, I know how complicated it can be being pals with two vampires. I'm sure you know all about it. The blood lust and everything."

My stomach dropped, and I was no longer hungry for the remnants of the food that was still on my plate.

His gaze concentrated on my eyes, gauging my reaction.

 _Play it cool, Caroline. Don't let him get a rise outta you_. I calmed myself, and forced an uncertain look.

"What the hell?" I frowned, trying my best to not overreact, as much as I wanted to. "Damon's only like 25, and Stefan's my age!" I protested, throwing my hands up. "And what right do you have to judge my friends, and who I can and can't hang out with? You literally  _just_  came into my life. And for that whole vampire/not my species thing, I think you better go get checked out. Vampires  _aren't_  real."

I scowled, gathering my things.

"You know," Ezra said, mostly to himself. "You have to."

"I have no idea what you're talking about,  _Mr. Forbes._ " I scowled deeper, throwing down a five onto the table. I slid out of my seat. "I would say I enjoyed getting to know you, but that'd be a lie."

Storming out of the restaurant, I hopped into my car and sped off towards Zach's work.

~0~

**Third Person POV**

Kelly Donovan sat on the other side of the divider, and had been ease dropping on the Forbes' dinner. When Caroline reacted badly to Ezra's mention of vampires, Kelly nodded slowly to herself. Caroline knew about vampires. Her boss would be...interested – to say the least – about this piece of information finally confirmed. Perhaps she could take some time off, stay home with Matty. She missed him. She loved her knew 'job' of sorts, but it wasn't like it used to be. Kelly dug into the taco salad, smirking.

~0~

**Caroline's POV**

A few minutes later, I pulled into the small parking lot across the street. Carefully jogging across the street, I entered the building.

"Hi, Missy," I said to the secretary, whom had gotten used to me bringing Zach food over the summer. "I'm just gonna head back to see Zach."

Missy nodded, her auburn curls bobbing. "Okay, Caroline. He shouldn't be busy." she called after me.

I went down the hall, turning down the first corridor and coming to his office, which sat in the front right side of the building.

I knocked twice before entering, which was my usual greeting.

"Caroline." Zach glanced up from his desk. He had his reading glasses perched on his nose, and he looked a bit surprised to see me.

"How was your dinner?"

Seething, I shut the office door harshly, and slumped down on the couch.

"He knows about Damon and Stefan, Zach." I plopped my head in my hands. "He literally called them out on it. Didn't beat around the bush or anything."

Zach took his reading glasses off and leaned forward in his chair. "Really?"

I nodded furiously. "Didn't even try to be quiet or subtle about it!"

"Did he threaten you?"

Pushing my hair behind my ears, I mumbled. "I- I don't think so. At least not directly. The whole thing started out normal." I sighed and met Zach's gaze. "We talked about my dad, school, Mystic Falls, and then he commented about how I didn't have a boy on my arm and I just said that the only guys in my life were Stefan and Damon, but I didn't want to date either of them."

Zach hummed thoughtfully. "I don't know how he could have known about Damon and Stefan. Perhaps you can ask Damon more about it."

I made a face, not really wanting to talk to Damon. "I guess I could."

We sat in a comfortable silence for a moment, letting the new information stew in our minds for a while.

"I've decided on what I'd like to do." I piped up. "I think it's best that we move out." I nodded, mostly to myself.

I think it was then I felt a great weight of stress lift off my shoulders and a blanket of security took its place.

Zach cracked a grin. "I've been looking for a while, actually. If not for you and me, just for myself. I never wanted to force you to come with me. Promise or not."

"Did you find one?" I queried. "An apartment, I mean?"

He nodded. "Close to town, too."

"The one on Founders' Street?" I specified curiously, and he nodded.

"That's the one."

I pictured the tall, brick building. I'd never been inside, but I'd walked by the homely apartment complex to know it was very well kept.

I sighed, and pulled my knees to my chest.

"I know how much you wanted him to be normal, Care," Zach said gently, and got up from his desk chair. He padded over to me, and I couldn't help but to crack a smile when I saw he was wearing fuzzy navy blue slippers. I scootched over and he took a seat beside me, giving me a hug.

"It was so great at first," I said, face now buried between my knees. "But then the vampires came into my life, and ruined everything. All I want is just one relative who is in the dark about everything. Who'll just be there for me, and be human!"

Zach's arm gave me a tight squeeze, and I felt tears prickle in my eyes.

"If it'll make you feel any better, you got into Miss Mystic Falls Pageant this year."

I expected my heart to jump excitedly inside my chest, but it only made me more upset.

_Mom wouldn't be here to see me!_

Last year, I'd been on the court, but I wasn't quite old enough to be in the main ceremony dance and everything.

"Aren't you excited?" Zach asked quietly. "Your mom told me how much you couldn't wait till this year's."

I pulled my face out and into the open. No tears had fallen, but I still felt the knot of emotion in my chest.

"I guess I am." I forced myself to smile. Today had been icky enough, I wasn't going to let myself stay on the pity pot forever.

Zach ordered us takeout Chinese food. We sat in his office, myself eating egg rolls, him his noodles, and watched Netflix. We watched Friends for a few hours, by the time we'd finished the food and the second episode of Friends, it was 9 o'clock.

"Wanna head home?" I looked up from my phone, where I'd ignored Ezra's fourth call that night.

"Yeah. Meet you there?" I asked, jingling my keys.

He nodded, and we went our separate ways.

We both arrived home at the same time, and I assisted Zach with the empty boxes in his trunk.

Stefan wasn't home, and I heard Damon fumbling around in his room doing god knows what.

"Thanks Zach." I said lowly, motioning to the boxes. "When would you like to...relocate?"

"Honestly, Care, the sooner the better. Before one of us talks our self out of it."

I nodded, looking around at my room.

"You don't have to take everything, just stuff you'll need. We can buy new beds and couches."

"Alright." I bent over and tugged my large teal suitcase from under my bed, and plopped it down on my bed. "We better get started," I murmured, and he nodded, exiting quietly. Kicking off my shoes and putting them back, I quickly changed into sweats and a sweater and got started.

I spent the next five hours with my ear buds in my ears, and packed up most of my stuff. I had just zipped up my clothing filled suitcase when I sensed another presence.

"What are you doing?" I heard faintly, and I took off my headphones.

Looking to the sound of the voice, I saw Stefan, looking a bit rugged.

"Stefan," I commented, straightening. "Hi."

"What's going on, Care?" Stefan walked into my room, hands shoved in his jacket pockets. His gaze raked over my bare walls and mostly empty dressers.

I had left a couple of pairs of shorts and pants that I didn't wear that often, some books, a box of art stuff, my old converse and heels, and a few other things out. Everything else, other than tomorrow's outfit, was packed.

"Zach and I decided to move out for a while," I tried to decide the best way I could possibly explain everything to Stefan, without making myself feel like I was abandoning him. "He made a promise to my mom before she died that he would keep me out of all this stuff - vampires and everything. He wants a place where only humans can go into. Someone he knows I'll be safe."

Stefan stony gaze met mine suddenly. "I would never hurt you, Caroline."

I bit my lip and looked away. "I know, Stef, I do, but Zach...he wants me to be safe."

He exhaled harshly, and raked a hand through his hair. "I'm sorry all of this has happened to you."

I cocked my head to the side, my eyes meeting his once more.

"The vampires, the drama, my unstable qualities..." Stefan sat on my window seat. "Can I explain to you why human blood makes me so...reckless?"

This piqued curiosity deep inside me. I'd always wondered what he meant by 'Ripper' and why he had such a problem, whilst Damon and Klaus seemed to be able to exist and drink with great ease.

"Please do." I sat in my desk chair, and faced him.

"I never wanted to be a vampire." Stefan begun, staring at my blank wall. "Nor did Damon. But when my father shot me and Damon, we had vampire blood in our system, and we turned..."

Stefan continued to explain his story, about how he stayed away from blood for so long and then finally gave in. His ripper status came and went over the years, and he was finally able to beat it right before he came to Mystic Falls.

"But I'm fine now," Stefan insisted. "I'm in control this time. Something's different."

I studied Stefan's expression, and something made me wonder whether or not he was telling the truth.

I didn't comment on it, however, and smiled.

"That's good, Stefan." I kept my smile on my face. "I'm so excited – but I'm still moving out, you know. Maybe not permanently, but just until everything dies down."

He was silent as he rose to his feet. "It's late, I'll let you go to bed then." He dipped his head and departed.

"G'night, Stef," I mumbled as he left the room.

The door clicked shut behind him, and I stood, stretching. The clock read 4:15 a.m. groaning, I realized how tired I actually was. Shutting off the light, I kicked off my socks and climbed into bed.

The next morning, I woke up to find Damon looming over me, bright eyes staring into my just opened green ones.

I screeched and scooted away, successfully ending up on the floor on the far side of my bed.

"I definitely won't miss that." I thought to myself. "What a rude awakening."

"Thinking out loud, I see." Damon smirked and jumped on my bed, peering over the edge at me. "Where ya going, Blondie? Narnia?"

I felt heat rush to my face, knowing that I said that out loud, what else did I say out loud? Some things I didn't want anyone to know but me.

"No, Damon. I'm moving out. Zach and I both." I got up, brushing myself off.

"Why?" He leaned back on my bed, putting his hands behind his head. "You know you'll miss me."

I rolled my eyes, scoffing. "Get off, Damon, I have to take my sheets off and put them up."

Damon's figure blurred and suddenly the blankets were on the floor in a crumpled heap. "There. Folded."

I raised a brow, and gestured to the pile. "More like rolled into messy bunches, but alright."

Walking around the bed, I scooped up the blankets and put them into the box I had assigned them to the night before. "Do you think Stefan's okay this time?" I suddenly asked. "He told me about how he became a ripper and everything, and he said this time was different. What do you think?"

Damon's wild brows lowered, and he stared off before responding. "All I know is my little brother's self-control hasn't always been the best, and you'd think little Elena would be all the more reason to gain self-control. But – blood bags have been going missing, and unless the tomb vampires are getting them..." he shrugged, and looked back at me.

"Oh," I mumbled, not really knowing what else to say. What was I  _supposed_ to say to that, anyways? I'd only known Stefan for about 6 months, while his brother had known him for over 100 years.

"Oh," Damon repeated and threw a letter onto my bare bed. "Mail for you."

I picked it up, and read the words in the clear cutout.

_You've been selected to participate in the Miss Mystic Falls Pageant._

"Need an escort?" Damon wiggled his eyebrows at me as he read the title over my shoulder.

I rolled my eyes for the second time that morning and went into my bathroom, locking the door behind me.

"Hmm," I heard Damon murmur outside the door. "Wonder what that means? Yes maybe?"

"That's a NO, Damon!" I said through the door.


	48. Miss Mystic Falls : Part One

_Previously on Everything Changes..._

_Walking around the bed, I scooped up the blankets and put them into the box I had assigned them to the night before. "Do you think Stefan's okay this time?" I suddenly asked. "He told me about how he became a ripper and everything, and he said this time was different. What do you think?"_

_Damon's wild brows lowered, and he stared off before responding. "All I know is my little brother's self-control hasn't always been the best, and you'd think little Elena would be all the more reason to gain self-control. But – blood bags have been going missing, and unless the tomb vampires are getting them..." he shrugged, and looked back at me._

_"Oh," I mumbled, not really knowing what else to say. What was I_ _supposed_ _to say to that, anyways? I'd only known Stefan for about 6 months, while his brother had known him for over 100 years._

_"Oh," Damon repeated and threw a letter onto my bare bed. "Mail for you."_

_I picked it up, and read the words in the clear cutout._

_You've been selected to participate in the Miss Mystic Falls Pageant._

_"Need an escort?" Damon wiggled his eyebrows at me as he read the title over my shoulder._

_I rolled my eyes for the second time that morning and went into my bathroom, locking the door behind me._

_"Hmm," I heard Damon murmur outside the door. "Wonder what that means? Yes maybe?"_

_"That's a NO, Damon!" I said through the door._

* * *

**Caroline's POV**

At school the next day, I found myself wondering if Stefan was here. I thought I saw his old car he kept in the back garage in the parking lot, but in my rush, I wasn't sure if it was him.

When I went into my second period, and saw him sitting in his assigned seat, I grinned.

 _I didn't know he would be coming back today_.. _.he must actually be feeling better! Good._  I smiled to myself, twiddling my pen idly.

Stefan looked happy, strong, and extraordinarily unbroody today.

I half expected Stefan to be out of school for longer than just half a week. If his ripper status was as powerful as I'd thought and he'd explained, then why was he here? Was he really better all ready?

**Third Person POV**

Damon and Klaus were standing in the Founder's Hall, the two of were summoned by Sheriff Rudy earlier that morning. The pair hadn't been there that long when Ezra and John slipped quietly inside.

"Brr!" Ezra said, announcing his presence to the human. "It's awfully cold out there!"

Klaus clenched his jaw, instantly annoyed at the new presence in the room.

"Ezra Forbes," Klaus greeted, his accent heavy. "Nice to see you again." The corners of his mouth twitched up in a wolfish grin.

"Klaus," Ezra nodded in a cordial greeting. "Damon. Nice to see the both of you."

Damon forced a tight smile onto his face, picking at the dirt under his nails.

 _I don't want to exchange pleasantries,_ Damon thought in annoyance. I _want to figure out what the hell these jackasses want._

"Hello Ezra, John," Damon returned.

Rudy studied the men curiously, having picked up on the slight tension.

"As I was saying," Rudy said. "There was a disturbance at the hospital blood bank last night; some of the supply was compromised."

Klaus and Damon met eyes, a silent question if either of them were the cause of it.

"Compromised?" Klaus mused. "Don't you mean stolen?"

Sheriff Rudy nodded. "Pretty much; we almost missed it actually."

The group walked over to the fireplace that was in the main hall, and stood by it. "The inventory records were altered, but when the night manager was questioned, he had no recollection of changing them."

"Meaning the vampire who stole all the blood used mind control to hide his theft," Ezra explained, as if the two closet vampires were mere children.

"We knew what you meant," Damon murmured lowly, looking at Ezra.

Ezra shrugged innocently, sharing a pointed gaze at John before looking into the fire.

"We wouldn't have noticed had John not alerted us to recent discrepancies in other hospital blood banks in the county," Rudy went on.

"How lucky of us then, that we have a mate like John and Ezra here," Klaus grinned, his fist clenching and unclenching at his side.

John beamed, putting his hands up as if he was trying to be modest.

"We're stepping up security at the hospital, giving the guard vervain to prevent this from happening again," Rudy shifted his weight to his other leg and Ezra spoke up.

"Sheriff, may John and I offer a suggestion?"

The sheriff nodded once, and John jumped in.

"Why don't Ezra and I put our heads together with Damon and Klaus here? We could easily track down whomever is doing this, I'm sure," John grinned, always the charmer.

Damon, whom had kept his composure this whole time, was seething inside. He initially had no reason to dislike John or Ezra, but after hearing Caroline sob herself to sleep the night after her dinner with Ezra, he found himself hating her uncle.

 _It's not like I like her_. He insisted to his conscious.  _It's my humanity, the switch isn't flipped one way or the other completely is all._

Rudy nodded. "Truthfully, I can use all the extra help I can get. Is that something the four of you are willing to do?"

Rudy looked to Damon and Klaus, waiting for an answer.

Damon nodded, feigning eagerness. "Well, of course, I mean, if it'll help," Damon then turned his gaze onto Klaus, who shrugged and bobbed his head in conformation.

"Of course, Sheriff! Anything to help out," Klaus grinned charmingly, and Ezra spoke up.

"I think we'll make a good team, don't you think so, Damon?"

Damon mirrored Klaus's smile. "Ezra, whatever my friend and I can do to help keep this town safe, we'll do. Even if it means spending quality time with you and John."

John and Ezra smiled cordially, and the five men went their separate ways.

~0~

Bonnie entered Alaric's classroom, feeling her face heat up as every set of eyes in the class turned to look at her.

"Sorry I'm late," She said to Ric, who dipped his head in greeting.

"Well, it seems we'll be in full occupancy today. Welcome home, Bonnie."

The girl in question smiled, and took her seat. Bon felt Caroline's gaze on her back, and she smiled wider.

 _You're back._  Caroline mouthed, eyes sparkling.

Bonnie nodded, and she glanced behind the blonde at Stefan. Her happy facade faltered for a moment, and she turned her head, avoiding his eyes.

~0~

 _Riiiiiing_.

Damon, who had returned home only an hour ago, was not expecting any visitors. However, when he opened his front door and found Anna, he wasn't too terribly surprised.

"I suppose I should be grateful, you learned how to use the bell."

Anna shifted her weight to the other leg, raising an eyebrow. "I'm here on behalf of my mother," she explained as she brushed past Damon.

"Sure, c'mon in," Damon muttered snidely, shutting the door.

"On behalf of, or in spite of?" He followed Anna, who was making abee-line to the couch.

She took a seat, and he sat across from her, splaying his arms across the back of the couch.

"I'm sorry about what the other vampires did to Stefan. Abducting him, torturing him… It wasn't supposed to go down like that," Anna rubbed her forehead, sighing.

Damon scoffed, and raised an eyebrow disbelievingly. "You're playing house with half of a tomb of really pissed off vampires. What did you think was going to happen? A tea party?"

The other vampire stared into space before retorting, "My mom is devastated, okay? They tried to over throw her!"

"And why isn't she here telling me this then?" he countered.

"She doesn't really do apologies?" Klaus, whom had followed Damon home to talk to him about working with John and Ezra, entered the parlor.

Anna shook her head.

"Good God, it's been over 100 years, the woman needs to swallow her pride!" the older vampire waltzed into the room and sat next to Damon on the couch. He handed his friend a glass of bourbon and took a drink of his own.

"What a coincidence, I don't do forgiveness." Damon crossed his arms, and leveled his gaze at Anna.

"You forgave Caroline," Anna pointed out with a grin.

Klaus chortled. "She's got a point, mate. Can't exactly use that excuse if you plan on forgiving Carolineeach time she does something you don't like."

Damon growled, simultaneously glaring daggers at Klaus.

"Just run along," he waved his hand, but then remembered something. "Oh, and if you're going to continue playing house with these little vampires pets, you might wanna stop robbing the blood bank dry because they're onto it," Damon rolled his eyes irritably.

Anna immediately looked taken aback. "I haven't been to the local blood bank in at least a week!"

"Then it's one of your others," Damon said with a slight shrug.

The true perpetrator was practically right in front of his face; but Damon honestly didn't want to even consider the fact that maybe his little brother was back off the wagon again.

"The others are  _gone_ , Damon," Anna insisted, raising both her eyebrows.

"Well, where did they go?"

"They weren't cut out for this town," Anna stood up. "After what happened with your brother, my mom kicked them out and they took off. It's just us and Harper now."

~0~

**Caroline's POV**

"Bonnie!" I called, running after my friend.

I had tried to get a hold of her after class, but she's slipped through the crowd and disappeared. She was oddly cold today, like someone had dipped her emotions into liquid nitrogen.

"Hey, Care," she said once I caught up with her.

"Hey, I tried to get you after class, but you'd already disappeared. How are you and your family?" I offered her an apologetic smile, not wanting to bring up painful memories.

"We're dealing, but it's been hard," She said softly.

I could tell something had happened, but what exactly, I couldn't tell. She'd seemed a lot better a few days ago, back to herself, but now...it was like she was a totally different person.

"We all missed you." I hugged her suddenly, recognizing that far-away look in her eyes. I'd gotten that look a lot right after my mom died, and I knew it was her trying to stay connected to the world; even though her thoughts were pulling her away to never-land.

"It was just so much to deal with, going through Grams' things, I needed more time...off. I really didn't even want to come back." She hugged me back.

Elena, who came running up, prevented any more conversation between the two of us.

"Bonnie!" She beamed widely. "I know we talked basically every day, but I'm so glad you're back at school! We missed you!"

 _Talked every day?_  I thought with a small frown.  _Bonnie talked to Elena every day, but not me? Is she mad at me or something? I know she was kind of tense when Stefan was in the room when she came over, but..._

"Better. You know," Bonnie responded to whatever Elena had asked her. "Glad to be back and trying to keep myself busy..."

"Well, you know we can help with that!" I cut in with a chipper smile, trying to stay positive.

_Maybe Bonnie didn't want to bother me or something..._

"Yeah we can!" Elena paused, and then her eyes lit up. "Oh, you totally need to help me pick up the perfect dress for the Founder's court this year!"

"Did I miss something?" I asked, looking at Elena.

"You know, Care, Miss Mystic Falls. They announced it today!" Elena paused for a beat. "Aw, you didn't get invited?" Her bottom lip jutted out and I quickly shook my head.

"Oh, yeah, I forgot that the Founder's court was another term for Miss Mystic Falls is all." I shrugged. "I got a letter from them, yeah. But I really don't know if I'm going to participate. I mean I didn't get that much volunteer work with Mom's death and everything..."

"You're dropping out then?" Elena asked, eying me.

Part of me dared say she looked almost a little hopeful.

"No, I couldn't!" I retorted immediately.

_Sure, Elena was my friend, but I was competitive and a bit narcissistic. No way I was going let her beat me!_

Bonnie looked at me, smiling sadly. "Her mom is the one who wanted her to enter," she explained to Elena, who looked a bit confused.

~0~

**Third Person POV**

Stefan entered the Boarding House after his agonizingly long day at school.

"How was school?" Damon queried, popping out from seemingly nowhere.

Stefan jumped, already on edge from his new...diet.

"Fine," the younger Salvatore said, tossing his backpack under the hall table.

"Yeah?" Damon mused curiously. "Same old, same old? Nothing new? No new stories to bring home?"

Stefan stared at his brother suspiciously. "You're making small talk, why? What did you do now?"

Damon smirked, holding up his hands. He followed his brother into the parlor, where his brother took a seat on the couch. "I didn't do anything, brother. You just seem awfully chipper lately, y'know, less doom and gloom – a little more pep in your step," he ended with a shrug, going over to lean on the couch across from Stefan.

"And...you what, think it's because I drank human blood again?" Stefan retorted skeptically, taking off his shoes.

"I don't wanna brag, but," Damon's smirk widened. "I would definitely take responsibility for this new and improved you."

He regarded his once 'Ripper' brother with hidden interest.

He could feel  _something_  radiating off of his brother in waves. It wasn't so much as power, as it was something else. Rather he just got laid, and it was ridiculously great, or something else was afoot.

"Well, I'd hate to burst your bubble, but," Standing up, he picked up his shoes and head back into the foyer. "I'm clean."

Damon chuckled, trailing after his brother. "Yeah – not possible."

"Not only is it possible, but it's quite true," Stefan shrugged and headed up the stairs.

Damon, who was not so easily dissuaded, flashed in front of his brother. Leaning on the banister, he held up his hands. "Stefan, just be serious for a second. You spent the last century and a half being a poster child for Prozac and now you expect me to believe that this new you has nothing to do with human blood.  _Nothing,_ " Damon paused, pointing up towards the second floor. "Our little blonde friend up in her room right now – that heartbeat – not bothering you? Not even a little bit?"

Stefan narrowed his green eyes and scowled, pushing past him. "I'm  _clean_ , Damon."

"You're lying!" Damon sung in return, and Stefan glanced over his shoulder.

"Believe what you want."

About ten minutes later, Stefan stood by his dresser on the phone with Elena.

" _So you'll be my escort for the contest, then?_ "

"Of course, 'Lena," Stefan smiled, thinking of the past Miss Mystic Falls pageant he attended. The memory of Katherine and Chandra looking as beautiful as ever flashed in his mind. "I'd love to."

" _Yay!_ " She squealed, and he could picture her wide grin and sparkling brown eyes. " _Y'know, my mom and Caroline's mom were both really into this Founder's day stuff! They both even competed for Miss Mystic in their day, but...my mom always won_!" She giggled. " _I kind of want to do it for her._ "

"It'll be great, we'll have fun," he stared down at the blood pouch in his hand, thinking of Elena's jugular. Closing his eyes, he squeezed the pouch lightly, resisting the urge to rip into it.

" _I love you_ ," Elena had said something before that, but Stefan didn't catch it.

"I love you too," He simply said, hanging up.

He tossed the phone onto his bed and stared at the burgundy filled bag. Hastily, he threw open his drawer and stuffed the bag into the very back, closing it with a clunk.

Stefan paced back and forth for a few moments before wordlessly jogging down the stairs, and then down into the basement.

Robotically, Stefan went over to the fridge and opened the door. He stared down at the blood bags, heaped on top of each other, practically calling to him. He took one in his hand and considered it.

"Well, well," Damon chuckled, stepping out of the shadows. Stefan's head snapped to look at him. "He's a liar and a thief. So, when were you planning on sharing?"

Stefan swallowed back the hunger, keeping his cool. "Go ahead, help yourself."

Chortling, Damon said, "No, no, no,  _I'm_  talking about that fact that you're a closet blood junkie."

The younger stared stonily back. "So what, I'm drinking blood again. You're the one that shoved it on me, what's your problem? I have it under control."

"Under control?! You robbed the hospital!"

Meanwhile, Caroline was upstairs in the foyer, getting ready to go to her interview at the Founder's Hall.

Care heard Damon's incredulous,  _you robbed the hospital!_  and froze.

_Who robbed the hospital? Klaus?_

Careful to be silent, she crept over to the basement door and listened.

"So, what's you point?"

_Stefan? What was Stefan talking about? Wait – oh no – did he rob the hospital?_

"Fine, whatever man, drink up. Just remember, we're trying to keep a low profile."

Caroline set her jaw and tromped down the stairs, not even bothering to hide her descent.

"Why don't you just walk up to Blondie or Sheriff Bennett and ask to tap a vein?"

At the mention of herself, she froze.

Damon smirked and glanced over at the stairs. "Speak of the devil..." turning to face the stairs, he called, "Blondie! You can come out now."

She walked into view and her eyes widened when she saw the blood bags in the fridge, and Stefan staring down at them.

"Have my actions negatively impacted you? I can't imagine what that must feel like," the ex-ripper said sarcastically.

"Yeah, what does Blondie here think about the new... you? Or what about your pretty little girlfriend? Huh?"

Stefan's troubled green orbs looked to Caroline, whose face was impassive. "Nothing's changed," he insisted, though he was still trying to persuade himself. "I'm still the same person."

"Are you, Stefan?" Caroline murmured, the first words she had uttered since she'd went downstairs.

"Clearly." Damon snorted and side stepped slightly to be in front of Caroline.

"Elena doesn't need to know anything yet," Stefan said, placing the bag back into the fridge. "Please, Care, don't tell her."

The blonde stared hard at Stefan. "You're kidding, right?"

"He's been off the human stuff for  _years_ ," Damon said to Caroline, who nodded knowingly.

"Stefan, if you're having trouble controlling..." Caroline started to say gently, only to be cut off by a harsh,

"I'm not having trouble!"

"O-oh. Okay." She swallowed the lump in her throat and looked down. "Sorry for even thinking-"

"Enough of the charades, Stef!" Damon raised his hands like he was done with everything. "Who do you think you're talking to? I know what it's like. That Jekyll and Hyde feeling, that switch, sometimes it goes off and you snap. Right now is not a good time for me to be worried about you snapping!"  _Especially since Caroline lives here...and Zach. It'd break her heart, and Stefan's, if Zach died..._ he added to himself.

"I know that it pains you to see this but I'm fine, okay? I'm fine!" Stefan took the pouch he'd just sat back down and shut the fridge. "So please, both of you, do me a favor and back off."

Stefan slowly stormed past the both of them. He pretended not to notice the burning in his throat as he passed by Caroline, all warm and pumping with blood.

He also tried to forget how she stepped back in uncertain fear.

When the front door had slammed shut, Damon turned to Caroline.

"I want you and Zach out of here as soon as possible," He said earnestly. "My brother's hanging on by a thread. I don't want you or Zach to get caught in his fall."

Caroline raised a groomed eyebrow, scoffing. "Damon, is that  _care_  I detect in your voice?"

He scoffed in return and headed up the stairs. She trailed behind him.

"Y'know, if you wanted me to leave this bad, you could've just asked," she mused.

"What fun would that be, Blondie?" Damon retorted, ignoring the care comment.

Once they reached the foyer, she scooped up her purse. "Well, I have an interview to go to, see you later, Damon."

He dipped his head in goodbye and went into the parlor to get a drink.

~0~

**Third Person POV**

Tyler's mom, Carol Lockwood, sat at the end of the long table she had set up in the dining room of the Founder's hall. "This year's queen will have the special honor of taking stage at the one hundred fiftieth founder's day gala," She announced, looking to each of the girls seated at the table. "Before we crown our winner, we'd like to get to know a bit more about each of you."

Carol Lockwood went on and on about how important this would be, how it would affect their future, blah, blah, blah. Halfway through her speech, Caroline tuned out.

_What would s_ _he and Zach do?_ _Would Damon talk to Zach about Stefan's problem, or would I need to? Can Zach move us both out without any help?_

Suddenly, all the girls were getting up and leaving, and Caroline snapped out of her reverie.

"What's going on?" she hissed to Elena, who was standing beside her.

"We're going to be interviewed one on one in another room. You're first," she said in a hushed tone.

The blonde's eyes widened, and she looked to see Carol waving her over to a set of doors.

"Good luck!" a few girls called to Caroline as she went over to Carol.

Caroline flashed a smile over her shoulder, and took a deep breath.

"Hi, Carol."

"Hello, Caroline," the mayor's wife greeted, and she introduced her to the other people inside. She smiled and said hello, but their names didn't stick in her brain.

Questions were fired at the Blonde, and she did her best to answer them.

"I acknowledge that I haven't been involved in these past six months like I used to be... I used to be on the Mystic Falls beautification committee and volunteer at the poor soup kitchen. I've been really distracted and let things slide... My mom's death hit harder than I wanted it to... but I'm aware of what a huge honor this is, and I want each of you to know that I take it seriously... I'd like to find new opportunities to help the community and the people who are in it...My mom really wanted me to participate in the pageant this year, and I'd love to do so for her. She believed in community, family, honor and loyalty," Caroline chuckled. "She left me some pretty big shoes to fill."

And just like that, it was all over and she was walking out to her car.

~0~

Damon was on the phone with Klaus, discussing what they planned on doing with John and Ezra, when the doorbell rang.

"Speak of the devils," Damon murmured. "If my ears don't deceive me, that's them now. Why don't you come on over?" he said to Klaus, then hung up.

Damon swaggered over to the door and smirked, throwing it open.

"Hey, partner!" John greeted, waltzing past Damon and into his living room.

"What do you two want?" he demanded, following them.

"You haven't returned any of my calls, vamp," Ezra said, going over to the mini bar and pouring himself a drink of Damon's favorite bourbon.

The vampire clenched his jaw yet kept the smirk plastered on. "Y'know, most people might take that as a hint."

The front door creaked open and slammed shut. "Where do we start looking for vampires?" Klaus wondered aloud.

"Hello, Klaus," John said, nodding in greeting.

Klaus grinned wolfishly. "John, Ezra, how nice to see you both."

"I agree with Klaus, Damon. Where do we start looking for the fanged fiends?" Ezra said after a sip and an exaggerated  _ahhh._

Damon, turned to glance at his friend, working his jaw.

"Hmm, I don't know. You obviously don't care about catching vampires, as you're here talking to us," Damon shrugged.

"Actually, I care very much," John insisted, smiling.

"What would Isobel say about that? I mean, considering she is one." Damon countered, and Ezra and John met gazes, an unspoken word passing between them.

"Isobel, Ezra and I share a mutual interest," John said, earning a "hm," out of Damon. "The original William Forbes has an invention that was stolen by a vampire. That vampire was then burned alive in Fell's church, or so William thought, and the invention was lost forever."

Damon stepped closer to John intimidatingly. John followed Damon with his eyes, but did not back up. "But then the vampires weren't killed, were they? They were trapped and now they're free, thanks to you which means the invention is retrieval."

Klaus leaned against the archway into the living room and smirked. Damon was circling John, and the human turned around to keep the vampire in his sights.

"Well, what is it?" Damon asked, furrowing his brows and mocking curiosity.

Ezra jutted out his lip and shrugged, coming over to John's side. "The only thing that really matters is that we want it back. And – you both are going to help us if you want your secret safe."

Damon glanced at Klaus over Ezra's shoulder. Klaus shrugged indifferently.

"Why bring us into it then? I mean, I don't know  _what_ you're talking about, much less who has it." Damon said coolly, and took Ezra's drink from him, downing it in one gulp.

Ezra stared at the vampire hardly.

"Oh, c'mon, Damon! You were around back then, you know who these people are, what they look like. He was friendly with a woman who turned out to be a vampire. Her name was Pearl. Does that ring a bell?" John said, gauging Damon's reaction.

Behind the humans, Klaus' eyes widened and he watched his friend, waiting for the same reaction.

Damon kept his face a blank slate. The three men stared at one another before Damon growled lowly.

"I'm  _not_ playing anymore. Get out," he turned around and headed for the door. He pointed to the said door and said again, dangerously, "Get out."

"I beg your pardon?" Ezra said, raising an eyebrow. Both humans stayed where they were.

"You know, I only entertain this whole blackmail scheme thing of yours because I thought that you and Isobel could lead me to Chandra," Damon said, back to the humans and Klaus.

Klaus' eyes narrowed.  _No way would he let Damon take Chandra from him. They'd been together long before Damon and her had ever met for him to lose her so quickly._

"But see, now I  _know_  you've no idea where Chandra is, because if you did you would know that Chandra and Pearl were best friends." he smiled arrogantly, and jerked his eyebrows up into his hairline for a fraction of a second. "See, you don't know everything, do you?" He swung open the door and extended an arm outside.

"I'll tell the entire council what you are," Ezra murmured lowly, walking forward.

"Go for it! I'll kill every last one of them. Then, I'll sever both of your hands, pull those damn rings off, and kill you both as well! Do you understand that?" Damon growled.

~0~

**Caroline's POV**

I stood inside my high school's cafeteria talking to Carol, who was upset at my lack of a partner.

"Caroline, don't you know it's imperative you have a partner to dance with?"

I felt the heat rush to my face as the room stared at us. "Yeah, I know, it's just, I didn't have anyone to ask! Stefan's dancing with Elena, Matt's with Angelica..."

Carol sighed heavily, and tapped the pen on her chin. "Hm, what about...Klaus? I've seen the two of you around sometimes. Or Damon? Surely one of them would be your partner until we can find someone more permanent."

My eyes widened at the thought of dancing with Damon or Klaus in front of the whole town.

"I don't know..."

"Well, you need a partner, so I'll do you and the rest of us a favor and call Mr. Mikaelson right now."

"No you really don't-" I cut in.

Carol held up a finger, shushing me. "I insist."

I groaned, running my hands through my hair.

I went back over to my place, a few feet from Stefan and Elena, who were giggling and being all coupley.

 _She didn't even notice how unstable he is!_ I huffed to myself, crossing my arms.  _Stefan's got to be dumb if he thinks I'm not going to tell her. She's my friend, and when friends are in possible danger, you warn them. It's not just girl code, its friend code._

I felt someone's eyes on me and looked over to see Stefan staring at me, almost curiously.

I smiled and lifted my hand in greeting.

He bobbed his head in response and Elena said something to him, causing him to laugh again.

"Caroline!" Carol called across the room.

I stiffened, and looked over to her.

"Klaus will be here in a moment," she informed me.

I nodded in acknowledgment and groaned, sitting down on the lunch table near my spot.

My stomach was practically eating itself in two, a mixture of nerves and well, nerves.

The double doors to the cafe screeched open and he walked in, head swiveling to find me.

"Hullo, love," he greeted as he got closer. Klaus shot a glance at Stefan, who was staring at the older vamp with contempt.

I swallowed back a lump and stood up. "Thanks for coming on such short notice. Mrs. Lockwood practically insisted," I explained, leading him over to our place.

"My pleasure, Caroline." My name rolled off his tongue and I lowered my eyes for a moment.

"Honor your partner, everyone!" Carol called from the front, and my eyes darted back to Klaus'.

I stepped forward, curtsying. Klaus' eyes practically undressed me as he bowed.

"Let's focus," Carol said with a smile. "Right hand around..."

I held up my hand in the air and took a measly step forward. Klaus did the same, smirking. When our hands were inches apart, we started walking in a small circle, keeping our hands close.

"Flirt with your eyes," Carol's voice drifted into the background.

Klaus, whom was still smirking at me, quickly tapped my hand. I felt Carol glare at Klaus and I, but she said nothing.

"Left hand around," she commanded, and we switched hands and directions.

Elena and Stefan were giggling like school children.

 _Oh, yeah, that is some major eye-flirtage going on_. I thought with a roll of my eyes.

Stefan seemed to be 'fine' like he'd said earlier in the basement.

_But was he really?_

**Author's Note:**

> I also have posted this story on fanfiction.net as kimzie-kitty


End file.
